Completing Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification for International Students & Scholars
Form I-9 is available from your hiring department or you may download a PDF version.
Every individual who is employed in the United States is required by federal law to provide evidence that he or she is eligible for employment. This is accomplished by the completion and verification of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
Your employer (UNH department/office) will give you Form I-9 and ask you to complete Section 1. Your departmental representative will complete Section 2 by examining and verifying documents you present regarding your identity and your employment eligibility. It is against the law for an employer to allow you to work unless Form I-9 has been completed and verified within three business days of beginning work.
Completing Section 1
Section 1 of Form I-9 is to be completed by the employee. What follows is a line by line description of how to complete Section 1:
- Name and Address: enter your last (family), first and middle names as shown on your passport . Enter your local U.S. address (street number and name, apartment number if any, city, state and zip code).
- Maiden Name: this refers to the family name you had before you were married (if you are not married or you did not take your spouse's name, then it will be the same as in #1).
- Date of Birth: Month, Day, and Year
- Social Security Number: If you previously received a Social Security Number, enter it here. If you have not yet received your number write "applied for".
- The next part of Section 1 pertains to the circumstances under which you are eligible for employment. If you are in a non-immigrant status (F1, J1, H1B, TN, etc.) you should mark the box which says "An alien authorized to work until." followed by the expiration date of your employment authorization. Your expiration date can be found on various immigration documents.
- If you are in J-1 status, this employment expiration date is on Form DS-2019 in block 3.
- If you are in F-1 status, this date will be on your Form I-20 in block 5, or on your Employment Authorization Card.
- If you are in H-1B, TN or various other non-immigrant status, this date will be on your I-797 Notice of Approval Notice in the upper right-hand portion under your visa classification or on your I-94.
- The next line asks for your Alien or Admission Number. In most cases, you will not have an Alien number but you should have an admission number if you entered the U.S. legally. Your admission number can be found on yourI-94. Write this number on this line.
Sign and date this form.
Completing Section 2
Section 2 is completed by the employer after examining evidence of your identity and your employment eligibility. There are three columns under Section 2 (Lists A, B and C). You must present original documents (not photocopies) to the person verifying your employment eligibility.
List A refers to documents that establish both identity and employment eligibility. Most students/scholars will not be in possession of a single document that will satisfy List A. The exceptions are students on Optional Practical Training and scholars with pending U.S. Permanent Residence applications who have been issued Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). In general, students/scholars will have to present documents from both Lists B and C.
List B refers to documents which establish identity. To prove your identity you may use your UNH identification card or a photo ID, such as a driver's license.
List C refers to documents which establish work eligibility. Although List C does not specify any of the immigration documents commonly held by international students and scholars, the documents indicated below are acceptable evidence of your eligibility for employment. We recommend the following to satisfy Item#7:
- If you are in J-1 status, we suggest that you show your DS-2019 and your I-94.
- If you are in F-1 status and not currently approved to exercise your OPT employment option, we suggest that you show your Form I-20 and your I-94.
- If you are in H-1B status, we suggest that you present your I-797, Notice of Action, and your I-94.
Please remember that whether you are an international student in F-1 or J-1 visa status, or an international employee in H-1 status, you are only authorized to work for UNH unless you have been approved for Optional Practical Training, Academic Training or Curricular Practical Training.
Extension of Employment
Form I-9 must be updated whenever your employment is extended. If you neglect to have Form I-9 updated, and your current employment authorization date expires, your paychecks will stop. Employment authorization usually corresponds with the expiration date on your Form I-20, DS-2019 or I-797 so you must first obtain an extension of stay. Consult OISS staff for extensions at least 30 days before your documents expire.
