Form I-9

When should I complete Form I-9?

The employee must complete Form I-9 on or before the first day of work. The earliest they may complete Form I-9 is as soon as they have accepted the job offer.

Please note: The university is at risk of significant fines for non-compliance if the Form I-9 is not completed on or before your first day of employment.

How do I begin Form I-9 process for new hires?

To hire temporary employees or student employees, the hiring department must submit an I-9 and Criminal Background Check Request form. The request form can be found on SeaNet, under the New EPAF options.

The form will guide you through the process, ensuring all required information is gathered.

Upon receipt of your request, a representative from HR will reach out to the new hire(s) directly to begin the I-9 process. The requester will be CC'd on the initial email and can follow the progress on the request spreadsheet. Note: Please do NOT have the new hires email HR directly to begin this process.

The I-9 process for permanent SHRA, EHRA non-faculty, and faculty employees is triggered by the PeopleAdmin hiring workflow. No action outside of PeopleAdmin is required to initiate an I-9 for these individuals.

Directions To I-9/CBC Request Form  Explanation of I-9/CBC Request Form

How long is an I-9 valid?

I-9s are valid as long as the employee remains employed at UNCW. The only exception is for aliens authorized to work - international students or employees. Their work authorization status has an end date determined by their immigration status and their I-9 will expire at the end of that date, unless they extend their status and update their I-9. The work authorization status of US citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents never expires.

If there is a break in service, USCIS indicates that a new I-9 is not needed if there is a reasonable expectation that the employee will return to work. "Reasonable expectation" is not defined by USCIS, so UNCW has determined its own standards for consistency. The table below addresses possible scenarios. Key concepts are explained below the table.

Break in service: for I-9 purposes, we use assignment end and start dates in Banner on NBAJOBS to determine if there is a break in service. For example, if an employee's last student assignment has an end date of 5/31 and their new temp SHRA assignment has a start date of 6/1, there is no break in service, even if the student's actual end date and new start date are separated by several days. If there is a gap between the NBAJOBS prior end date and new start date, verify the employee status(es) and refer to the table to determine if a new I-9 is needed.

Previous assignment end date: the end date of the assignment as listed in Banner on NBAJOBS. Temporary and student assignments are always entered with a start date on the first of a month and end date on the last day of a month. Even if the actual last day of work was earlier - e.g. student working in May typically stop after graduation, but Banner will list 5/31 as the end date - we still use the Banner date.

Separation from employment in Banner: if an employee is marked as 'Terminated' on PEAEMPL, they are considered fully separated from employment for I-9 purposes. This supersedes everything else and a new I-9 will be required, unless there is written proof that the employee accepted a new job offer prior to the end of their most recent assignment.

How do I complete Form I-9?

The Form I-9 is completed electronically and remotely. UNCW does not accept the paper version of the Form I-9. After your department has sent the request to HR, a representative from HR will reach out to you via email. Please read the instructions in this email carefully and respond promptly! 

What do I need to complete a remote Form I-9?  

Documentation

To complete the Form I-9, you must provide documents evidencing your identity and employment authorization. Click below for the list of acceptable documents. All documents provided must be original and unexpired. Photocopies or other reproductions are not acceptable. 

Please note: You will need to provide either one List A document, or a combination of one List B document and one List C document. Two List B documents or two List C documents do not satisfy the requirements for completing the form. 

Acceptable Documents

Remote Agent

You will also need to identify a person who is willing to act on UNCW’s behalf as our Remote Agent. Anyone (your partner, friend, neighbor, co-worker…) can act as Remote Agent; it does not require specific qualifications or licensure and they do not have to be affiliated with UNCW. This person will be responsible for verifying the physical copies of your documentation, entering the information on the form, and uploading digital copies with your I-9. 

May I drop off the Form I-9 to your office?

No. The university transitioned to an electronic system for individuals to complete the Form I-9 and we no longer use the paper form.

I think I have previously completed an I-9; do I need to complete another one?

HR will need to verify if there is a valid I-9 on file for you. I-9s do expire, so having an I-9 on file does not automatically mean it is still valid. To verify, please contact Ivor Dikkers by email or by phone at 910.962-2103.

My passport/Social Security card/birth certificate is at home. Can you accept a copy, or can the document be verified via video link?

No. By law, we are required to review original, unexpired documents. When we sign the form, we and the remote agent attest under penalty of perjury that we have properly reviewed the documentation. We must review original documents and we cannot complete the I-9 until we do.

I am an international student; do I need to complete the I-9?

If you are working at UNCW, you will have to complete an I-9. Your documentation requirements may vary depending on your immigration status in the United States. Please contact Ivor Dikkers or by phone at 910.962-2103 to discuss your situation.

Please note: You must have a US Social Security Number to complete Form I-9.

Form I-9 is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers must ensure proper completion of Form I-9 for everyone they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and non-citizens. Both employees and employers (or authorized representatives of the employer) must complete the form. On the form, an employee must attest to his or her employment authorization. The employee must also present his or her employer with acceptable documents evidencing identity and employment authorization. The employer must examine the employment eligibility and identity document(s) an employee presents to determine whether the document(s) reasonably appear to be genuine and to relate to the employee and record the document information on Form I-9. (Information provided by US Citizenship and Immigration Services).

UNCW participates in E-Verify.