Who needs to complete an I-9
Federal law requires MIT to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all graduate students, including U.S. citizens, who are paid compensation for services. This includes graduate students holding a research or teaching assistant appointment.
When to complete an I-9
You may complete the Form I-9 as soon as you accept admittance to a graduate program that provides an assistantship appointment as part of your funding. The Form I-9 must be completed pre-employment and before you start your appointment. Your appointment letter will not be finalized until you complete step 1 and 2 of the I-9 process, and you may not perform any employment work until your appointment letter is finalized. If you are unable to begin working at the start of the appointment period, this may result in a reduced salary and tuition remission.
If you are a current student worker whose I-9 work authorization is due to expire before your paid employment at MIT ends, you must have your Form I-9 reverified before the expiration date. Failure to complete this process in a timely manner will result in the termination of your RA or TA appointment, which may result in a reduced salary and tuition remission. You may not perform any employment work until your I-9 reverification is complete, and you have verified that your appointment letter has been reinstated and finalized.
How to complete the Form I-9
Please follow the instructions on the Human Resources I-9 page.
In the event of a cancelled award
If your RA or TA appointment has been cancelled due to incomplete documentation, follow the instructions above to complete the requirements. Then, contact your departmental graduate administrator to request a reinstated RA or TA appointment. While you may continue academic work, you may not perform any employment work until your appointment has been reinstated and finalized.
