Under federal law, all new student employees must complete I-9 document verification to confirm eligibility for employment prior to beginning a wage position at the university. Students can find more information about the I-9 process on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website. 

The Graduate Administrative Services Team in UChicagoGRAD processes I-9 forms for PhD students who will be holding a wage-income Primary Funding position.  graduate students who will be or intend to be employed at the University of Chicago. For incoming graduate students who haven’t yet been hired as an employee at the university, we still strongly recommend completing the I-9 process upon arrival to the university to be prepared for future employment. 

Under federal law, all new employees must complete Form I-9 and submit documentation to verify their identity and their eligibility for employment.  

I-9 documentation requirements will vary depending on a student’s citizenship status and place of residence. To see which documents are required for  I-9 processing, please see this table. Be prepared to present original documents in person – photocopies of documentation will not be accepted. Please note: although not indicated on the acceptable documents list, international students need to present either their I-20 (F1 visa status) or DS-2019 (J1 visa status) in additional to a valid passport and most recent I-94.  

You must complete Form I-9 and submit the required documentation on or before your first day on the job. Students who do not complete this process within the required timeframe (3 days from position start date) will not be able to continue in their student employment position. 

Students who will be holding a wage-income PhD Primary Funding will receive notification from Student Employment if they need to complete I-9 employment verification. Students will be able to schedule an appointment with Graduate Administrative Services or Student Employment  via GRAD Gargoyle.  Â