Required Paperwork

If this is your first time working at Boston University, you must complete pre-hire paperwork.

Form I-9

This form is required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a Department of Homeland Security division. The Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States, as outlined in Form I-9 instructions. All US employers, regardless of size, must properly complete Form I-9 for every individual they hire for employment in the United States.

Form I-9 Breakdown

The Form I-9 consists of two sections.

Section 1 – must be completed on or before the student first day of employment. Student employees will receive a prompt to complete section 1 of the Form I-9 from the JobX Student Job Board when they are offered a job.

If you were offered a job and haven’t received a prompt or you are not sure where to go, check out this PDF guide.

Section 2 – must be completed in person with a supervisor, department administrator or other Boston University Authorized Representative. Students will be prompted to select the location they’ll be completing section 2 of the form I-9. If you cannot complete section 2 with your hiring department, you may opt to visit the FirstPoint University Service Center, located at 881 Commonwealth Avenue, 2nd floor.

Remember, section 2 must be done in person no later than three business days after your first day of employment. You must supply original, unexpired identification documents to verify your identity and employment authorization. Federal Regulations prohibit the use of any reproductions, including scans and copies, of the original documents. Please view the following instructions based on student type. Failure to complete the I-9 within the designated timeframe will delay the hiring process and payment release.

Helpful guide to completing the Form I-9 if you are a…

Domestic Student

International Student

New students must complete the Initial ISSO check-in BEFORE completing the I-9 process.

You must have a job offer for on-campus employment BEFORE you can begin the I-9 verification process. Once you have secured an on-campus job, you must take the following actions to be set up in the BU payroll system:

First time student employees will receive a prompt to complete section 1 of the Form I-9 from the JobX Student Job Board when they are offered a job.
1. If you were offered a job and haven’t received a prompt or you are not sure where to go, check out this PDF guide.
Complete Section 2 with the hiring manager/department. If they cannot complete section 2 with your hiring department, you may visit the FirstPoint Customer Service Center, located at 881 Commonwealth Avenue, 2nd floor. This section must be done in person no later than three business days after your first day of employment. Students cannot work after the third business day until this step is complete.
- You must supply original, unexpired identification documents to verify your identity and employment authorization. Federal Regulations prohibit the use of any reproductions, including scans and copies, of the original documents.
  - F-1 students should present a passport, I-20, and I-94 directly to their hiring manager to complete the I-9 as part of the new hire process.
  - J-1 students sponsored by BU must request ISSO authorization for on-campus employment authorization by presenting a passport, DS-2019, and I-94 to the ISSO during regular business hours.
  - J-1 students sponsored by a third party (not BU) should present written authorization to work on the BU campus from their program sponsor in addition to a passport, DS-2019, and I-94 to the ISSO during regular business hours.
  - Students in all other non-immigrant categories should present documentation proving their identity and employment authorization to the ISSO during regular business hours. Documentation will vary depending on immigration status (see the list of documents USCIS accepts for I-9 purposes).
Once the Form I-9 is complete, the student can be hired for their on-campus job.

The complete list of identification options can be viewed here.

Other required paperwork

Social Security Number

Students are able to start working without a valid Social Security number in the Student Payroll system.

However, for tax purposes, all student employees are required to have a valid Social Security number on file by the end of the calendar year. Students are able to report this to Student Payroll when filling out Section 1 of the Form I-9, during the hire process when their supervisor is inputting their hire record, or directly to Student Employment. Once Student Payroll has a student’s Social Security number, their payroll file is updated for the duration of their time at Boston University.

Not having a Social Security number on file by the end of the calendar year can affect a student’s taxes and it is possible for students to get a tax penalty.

Supervisors and staff should refer to our information regarding students without Social Security numbers.

Confidentiality and Privacy Agreements

Depending on the accessible information a student employee has during their employment with a department, they will be required to sign a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Non-Disclosure agreement and a Student Employment Confidentiality agreement. These forms will be required during the hiring process and stored within Student Employment.