I-9 Submission Process and Resources

All hiring departments must be using the new version of the Form I-9 with a 08/01/2023 version date and a 07/31/2026 expiration date. I-9s completed after 10/31/2023 that do not have the 07/31/2026 expiration date will be returned to hiring departments. Departments should follow the steps below when processing new appointments:

1. Submit a new appointment action in Aurora.  Use the comments section to note whether the I-9 will be delivered to UFS immediately or on the hire date.
    
2. Work with the new employee on or before his/her hire date to complete an I-9 form (and FNIF, if necessary), making photocopies of the documents presented by the employee. Make a copy of the I-9 to keep temporarily.
    
3. To submit I-9s electronically to Central Payroll: • send an email to ufs_crt@harvard.edu notifying us you need to send a completed I-9 packet via Harvard approved secure file transfer. • Central Payroll will respond with a specific email address where you can send the documents securely. • Using MS Outlook encryption or Kiteworks Secure File Transfer, send the I-9 packet using the following naming conventions: John_Harvard_I9 or John_Harvard_I94 or John_Harvard_I9Full Packet. DO NOT directly forward or attach the I-9 packet to ufs_crt@harvard.edu If necessary, paper forms can be dropped off at 1033 Mass Ave using the dropbox outside or on the 2nd floor of the building.
    
4. Shred your copy of the I-9 once the employee’s Aurora and PeopleSoft records are complete.
    
5. Instruct the employee to complete tax and direct-deposit information through PeopleSoft Self Service during his/her first week of work.**

**Non-resident aliens must complete paper tax and direct deposit forms, which must be delivered to FAS Payroll (1414 Mass. Ave., 4^th floor), not UFS

The department will be FAS Payroll’s first point of contact for troubleshooting I-9 issues. In order to minimize the risk of issues, we ask departments to keep in mind the following.

• It is critical to ensure that all information (e.g. SSN, name, date of birth) recorded in the I-9 and Aurora appointment action matches and that I-9s are completed correctly and legibly. Mismatches and incorrect I-9s create problems which are difficult to troubleshoot, including delays in the completion of the hire process (affecting HUID creation, pay, systems access, etc.) and the creation of duplicate HUIDs. Tip: You may choose to have the new employee complete Section 1 of the I-9 form electronically then print and sign before you complete Section 2.
• Departments must note in the comments section in Aurora whether an I-9 will be delivered to UFS immediately, at a specified later date, or on the hire date. This provides FAS Payroll with an expected timeline for finding the new hire in PeopleSoft and will allow them to follow-up with departments earlier if there are problems.
• When hiring current Harvard students or temporary employees, FAS Payroll will be unable to monitor I-9 flags, so the department will be responsible for monitoring the processing of these appointments and following up with their payroll coordinator if needed.
  • If you hire Harvard students directly in PeopleSoft: You should be able to submit a quick hire form 2 business days after delivering an I-9 to UFS. If not, please contact your payroll coordinator to troubleshoot.
  • If you hire Harvard students and/or temporary employees in Aurora:The job record and time and labor should be active in PeopleSoft within 3 business days of delivering an I-9 to UFS. If not, please contact your payroll coordinator to troubleshoot.

Forms:

• I-9 form and instructions, available on the USCIS website
  • The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a new version of the I-9 Form in August, 2017.
  • Older versions of the form will be considered invalid by USCIS as of 9/18/17. Note: older version of I-9’s completed prior to 9/18, but received in central payroll after 9/18, will be processed.
  • Users will need to download the I-9 form with Adobe Reader. If unable to download in Chrome, please use IE or Firefox.
• I-9 Summary Sheet
• Remote I-9 Completion Instructions
• Remote I-9 Completion Form

I-9 Resourcees:

The following resources are available for assistance:

• US Citizens and Permanent Residents – Contact your payroll coordinator.
• Non-Resident Aliens – Contact the Non-resident Alien (NRA) Tax Compliance Group at 617-495-8500, option 5 or visit the NRA Tax compliance website.

Service Level Agreements:

UFS will process all I-9s within 24 hours of receipt.

FAS Payroll will process all new hire appointments within 2 business days of receiving the PeopleSoft form from FAS HR/Faculty Affairs. For new hires without I-9s in PS at the time of receipt, FAS Payroll will monitor PS daily for the I-9.

HUID Availability:

Departments can obtain HUID numbers for new employees soonest through PeopleSoft via Workforce Administration > Job Information > Job Data.

Tax Withholding and Direct Deposit:

Encouraging new employees to update tax withholding and direct deposit information through PeopleSoft rather than through paper forms provides employees with greater control and reduces risk. It also familiarizes new employees with PeopleSoft Self Service.

Work instructions for entering/updating W-4 tax information and direct deposit information are available on the FAS Finance website.

Temporary SSNs:

If a new employee requires a temporary social security number, complete the FAS Temporary Social Security Number Request Form and email it to faspayroll@fas.harvard.edu. Do not send an I-9 to UFS until a temporary social security number has been assigned by FAS Payroll.

Completing and I-9 From Afar:

If your employee will start work before they are physically present on campus AND the employee is a US citizen or permanent resident, the employee may have their I-9 certified by an authorized representative. We have developed detailed instructions and a Remote I-9 Completion Form to facilitate this process. This process for I-9 forms should be used only when an I-9 form cannot be completed in person at any time between acceptance of the job offer and the start of employment.

• FAS Departments and Centers are in the process of moving to electronic I-9 collection on a rolling basis throughout 2024. If your department or center has already been informed that you should be using electronic I-9s, please visit the Electronic I-9 Project Resources site for instructions and new hire I-9 communication templates.
• You can check if your department or center has transitioned to electronic I-9s by looking at the FAS master list of departments on electronic I-9s.