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For Schools and Units Piloting the Electronic I-9 and E-Verify Process

Download:
Electronic I-9 Collection Process Instructions – Rev. 10/06/2023
Equifax Upload Process Paper Form I-9 - Rev. 10/06/2023
See: Form I-9 Packets and Additional Information
Electronic Equifax  I-9 Data Available on PeopleSoft Hire Form - See the December eNews for details.

Options for Schools and Units Piloting the Equifax Electronic I-9 and E-Verify Process

For schools or units with an on-campus presence, a Harvard I-9 administrator must complete section 2 of the Form I-9 in person. Assigning an Authorized Representative option increases the risk for inaccurate form completion and documentation and therefore should be reserved only for exceptional cases.

Please note: Harvard is not currently eligible to complete remote examination of I-9 documents. Until further notice, and to comply with federal regulations, the Harvard I-9 Administrator or Authorized Representative must review, in person and in the physical presence of the employee, the original unexpired Section 2 documentation when completing Section 2 of the Form I-9. Certain non-U.S. citizens will have restrictions that prohibit non-Harvard work locations. Hiring departments and employees must confirm their work location eligibility with the Harvard International Office (HIO) prior to being hired. See Considerations for Foreign Nationals. Please contact ufs_crt@harvard.edu for guidance with exigent circumstances.

Please contact i9help@harvard.edu for guidance with exigent circumstances.

Options for Equifax Electronic I-9 Completion:

Option 1 - In Person Completion (Required if Department or Employee has an on-campus presence)

Schools and units with an on-campus presence (hybrid or other) will follow their usual I-9 Equifax collection process; sending the URL to the employee to complete Section 1 and the Harvard I-9 Administrator completes Section 2 with in-person document review.

Option 2 - Use the I-9 Anywhere Option

Equifax offers a remote I-9 option called I-9 Anywhere, which allows new employees who are not local to take their Section 2 documents to an approved remote agent based on their zip code prior to arriving on campus. There are over 1,300 authorized remote agents across the U.S., and new employees can select and schedule a time to bring in their Section 2 documents at their convenience. See I-9 Anywhere Support Guide.

  1. Harvard will send the specific I-9 Anywhere link to the new employee who will complete Section 1 and set up an appointment with a I-9 Anywhere remote agent.
  2. The employee will go their appointment and the remote agent will complete Section 2 and submit documents to E-Verify.
  3. Harvard I-9 Administrators must review the E-Verify response and complete any follow-up needed (e.g., Photo Matching).
  4. Schools will be charged ($115) for each remote hire request. If an appointment is cancelled or rescheduled or a “no show” within 24 hours of the agreed upon appointment, the school will also be charged $115.
  5. Contact Central Payroll at I9help@harvard.edu to request the I-9 Anywhere Remote URL to send the new employee.

Fallback Option - Upload Paper Form I-9 Completed by an Authorized Representative

This option cannot be offered if the hiring department or employee has an on-campus presence. In the rare case where a Harvard I-9 Administrator is not able to complete Section 2 and review the documentation in person (e.g., for employees who are 100% remote and live >50 miles from campus), Harvard may assign the role of Authorized Representative to an outside individual, who may complete Section 2 of the Form I-9 on behalf of Harvard. If completed correctly and, with the submission of Section 2 documents, no further action is required by the Harvard I-9 Administrator. An Authorized Representative may be an adult household member, personnel officer, foremen, notary public, etc. Best practice is to have a notary (if allowed by that state) or personnel office complete the Section 2 of the Form I-9 rather than a household member. This option cannot be used for convenience or if the local hiring unit or employee has an on-campus presence.

Be sure the completed paper Form I-9 has an expiration date of 07/31/2026. Any Form I-9s that do not have that date cannot be used and hiring departments will be required to complete a new paper Form I-9.

  1. See Packet - Form I-9 with Instructions for Employee and Authorized Representative
  2. A Harvard I-9 Administrator must set up a video conference with the Authorized Representative to assist them with the process in order to view and confirm the appropriate documents have been presented and the paper form I-9 has been completed accurately.
  3. The completed paper Form I-9 is the document of record, and the Harvard I-9 Administrator must review the completed Form I-9 to make sure it is completed correctly. Any corrections must be made to the document prior to entering and uploading it in Equifax.
  4. The Harvard I-9 Administrator would complete the “Equifax Upload Paper Form I-9” upload process in Equifax which requires entering the Form I-9 information, uploading the Form I-9 as well as the documentation. See  Equifax Electronic Paper Form I-9 Upload Process.
  5. The employee would not complete section 1 via the URL but complete the paper Form I-9 only.
  6. The upload process must include uploading copies of the Section 2 documentation.
  7. The Harvard I-9 Administrator must take action on any follow-up E-Verify responses as necessary.