Completing Your I-9
Employees must complete Section 1 of Form I-9 using the I-9 Service Center as the first step in the process. A job aid for new employees is available. The second step is the Section 2 document verification. Below is a comprehensive list of the various ways employees can complete Section 2.
Have questions? Visit the FAQ Page.
Required Documents
- List of Acceptable Documents for U.S. Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents.
- List of Acceptable Documents for Foreign Nationals (also see Onboarding Checklist for new hires).
- Foreign Nationals, who are new hires, must also submit the FNIS Request Form to fntax@northwestern.edu.
- Employees must have the original version of documents. Scans, photocopies and photos of documents are not accepted.
In-Person I-9 Processing
If situated in the local area, consider completing the I-9 in person. A Human Resources representative will complete the I-9. Some departments may have a designated staff member who can complete I-9s for their employees. Consult with the hiring department directly to see if that is an option.
| Evanston Location & Hours
1800 Sherman Avenue, 1st Floor (Suite 1-100) Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm CST |
Chicago Location & Hours
710 N. Lake Shore Drive (Abbott Hall, Room 150) Wednesdays, 10:00am-3:30pm CST |
Both office locations are closed during University Holidays (see full list). |
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Remote I-9 Processing
Select a tab below to explore options for completing the I-9 remotely. Visit the FAQ page to address questions.
Virtual Appointment with HR Staff
Employees complete the I-9 Section 2 document verification via a virtual appointment with a Human Resources staff member.
Process for a Virtual Appointment:
- Employee completes Section 1 of Form I-9.
- Employee submits a request for a remote virtual appointment and uploads documents for review (click here).
- Employee must upload both front and back of all the documents they will use for verification.
- Human Resources notifies the employee of confirmed virtual appointment.
- Employee meets with Human Resources staff member via a live video call. Employee holds up the original version of verification documents to the camera during the call.
- Employee notifies hiring department once their I-9 has been completed.
IMPORTANT: Do not submit multiple requests for appointments. Employees will receive an email notification once the request has been reviewed/approved. Visit the FAQ Page for topics regarding which documents to use, troubleshooting uploads, scheduling appointments, etc.
Public Notaries (Traditional)
Employees can use a public notary to complete Section 2 or 3 of their Form I-9. A notary is an officer of integrity who serves as an impartial witness in performing official, fraud-deterrent acts related to the signing of important documents.
Process for using a Notary:
- Employee completes Section 1 of Form I-9 and then identifies a notary who can meet in person to serve as the authorized agent to complete the I-9.
- Employee sends the notary’s full name and email address to askHR@northwestern.edu.
- Human Resources will set up the notary in the I-9 Service Center and email instructions to the notary.
- Employee presents original documents to the notary during an agreed-upon time and the notary completes the I-9 form.
- Employee notifies hiring department once their I-9 has been completed.
IMPORTANT: Northwestern guidelines do not allow videoconferences when using a notary. Both parties must meet in person and if any fees accrue, they will not be reimbursed by the University.
Consistent with existing University policy, employees residing outside of the United States are not permitted to start working for the University, absent prior approval from central Human Resources. If an employee already resides in and works from a location outside of the United States, the hiring department must contact Human Resources to review the arrangement. If an employee is currently abroad, but they typically reside and work in the United States (and are authorized to do so), they may continue working while abroad on a temporary basis. Departments that are hiring foreign national employees can reach out to the Foreign National Tax Team (fntax@northwestern.edu) for additional questions or concerns.