Federal I-9 Form
The I-9 form is a federal form which verifies the identity and employment eligibility for any new employee. At Harvard, every student must submit this form once. Most often this process takes place at the student’s first job. If a student is eligible this will be recorded in PeopleSoft. Students may not begin working until Central Payroll has processed the I-9.
Do only US citizens need to complete the I-9?
No, any new (student) employee must fill out the I-9. International students eligible to work in the United States must note down their Alien Registration Number OR Form I-94 Admission number on the form.
Whose responsibility is to submit the form to Central Payroll?
It is the employer’s responsibility to send the form to Central Payroll. Have the student come to the office and fill out Section 1: Employee Information and Attestation. Make copies of their identity and verification document(s). The student must provide originals—no copies can be accepted. The employer then completes Section 2: Employer or Authorized Representative Review and Verification. Your local payroll administrator or payroll coordinator contact at Central Payroll can help if you have any questions.
Which documents are acceptable for verification?
See the last page (page 3) of the I-9 form.
How do I know that the I-9 has been processed?
You won’t receive a notification from PeopleSoft. Log in and go to Harvard Processes > Hire Student. Click “Add New Value”, enter the student’s HUID, then click ‘Add’. In the top left corner there are 3 check boxes. If the ‘Eligible to Work in the US’ box is checked then the I-9 has been processed and you can hire the student.
Step by Step Instructions for the student section:
Enter your permanent address here. For undergraduates that is your address back home, not your on-campus mail center address. For graduate students, enter your local address. Don’t forget to write in your Social Security number. If you are an international student and don’t have a social security number yet you can leave this blank.
If you are a US citizen check the first box. If you are a lawful permanent resident check the third box. If you are an enrolled international student check the fourth box and enter the expiration date which can be found on your visa. This is likely on or just after graduation.
If you are a permanent resident enter your Alien Registration Number. If you are an enrolled international student enter your Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record) number.
Check off the box for preparer and/or translator certification.
Step by step instruction for the employer section:
The student must provide (1) document from column A or (1) document from column B and (1) document from column C. Eligible documents are available on page 3 of the I-9. The most common document provided is a US passport which fulfils both the identity and eligibility requirement. Enter this information in List A. The second most common is a social security card and driver’s license. Enter the driver’s license into list B and the social security number into List C. Many students, first year in particular, may not have a US passport or social security card on campus. Since copies are unacceptable, the student’s parent or guardian will have to mail them the originals.
The final section is straightforward. Under Employer’s Business or Organization Name you can put either your department name or just Harvard University. Don’t forget to sign and date!