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Status Validation, I-9 Employment Authorization and Orientation

Welcome to Caltech!

All new Caltech international scholars, faculty and staff must validate their visa status and report your arrival to the United States to verify that you were admitted in the accurate visa status. If you are already present in the U.S. you must validate your work authorization. ISS must also verify your personal address and phone number.

To validate your status you must complete the form: ISS Status Validation Form prior to or on your start date, and after you have arrived in the United States.

If you will receive a salary from Caltech, please follow these instructions carefully in order to successfully verify your U.S. employment eligibility by completing Form I-9, as required by federal regulations:

Online New Hire Packet (Form I-9 Section 1)
Access HERE

Please complete your Online New Hire Packet (Form I-9 Section 1) on or before your first day of employment. Note the following:

  • Location: International Offices
    Exception: If you are staring a position at LIGO in Washington or Louisiana, select the appropriate LIGO location.
  • Social security number: If you do not have one, select "Applied For".
  • Employment Date: Your first date of work. Confirm with your supervisor/host if you are not sure.
  • Complete Personal Information AND I-9 Section One. You should receive a confirmation code at the end to confirm you have completed both parts.

Exceptions:

  • Continuing at Caltech: If you are starting a new position on campus, without any interruption in your Caltech affiliation, for example a Caltech international graduate student starting a postdoc appointment immediately after graduation, do not complete the Online New Hire Packet (Form I-9 Section 1). Instead, please come to ISS during I-9 Walk In Hours in order to complete your In-Person Document Re-verification (Form I-9 Supplement B). See "Current Scholars" below for details.
  • Off campus start date: If you have been authorized by Human Resources to start your employment from off campus (excluding LIGO or other Caltech-managed locations), access the Online New Hire Packet HERE. After you complete the Online New Hire Packet (Form I-9 Section 1), you will be prompted to schedule an appointment with an agent nearby to your location. You will present your documents to the agent (Form I-9 Section 2).

In-Person Document Presentation (Form I-9 Section 2)
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday | 1:15 - 2:15 PM | International Scholar Services, 266 S. Chester Avenue

After you have submitted the Online New Hire Packet (Form I-9 Section 1), bring your acceptable I-9 documents to ISS to complete Form I-9 Section 2 on or before your third day of employment during the ISS I-9 Walk In Hours noted above.

Exception: If you are starting a position at LIGO in Washington or Louisiana, schedule your In-Person Document Presentation at your LIGO site.

We welcome individuals on a first come, first serve basis. You will need to show originals documents. We cannot accept electronic documents on a phone or computer.

If your work authorization has been extended, you will need to re-verify your Form I-9 with updated, acceptable I-9 documents for Supplement B on or before your current employment authorization expiration date during an individual meeting with your advisor.

If your visa status has changed, you will need to re-verify your Form I-9 with updated, acceptable I-9 documents for Supplement B on or before your new status employment authorization start date during an individual meeting with your advisor.

Please contact ISSadvisor@caltech.edu to set up your meeting.

All first-time Caltech J-1 Exchange Visitors are required to attend orientation. All other new scholars, spouses/partners, and families are welcome to participate. The International Scholar Orientation presentation provides information about regulations affecting your immigration status in the United States as well as advice to assist you and your family while you transition to life in Pasadena. New scholars who have submitted the ISS Status Validation will be registered for the Zoom event closest to their start date. ISS will send the invitation via email.

There will be a 5 minute break between the two parts of the orientation.

Thursdays | 8:30 - 11:00 AM | Zoom

8:30 - 9:40 AM | Adjustment and Relocation Orientation
9:45 - 11:00 AM | Immigration Orientation

2023 Orientation Schedule:

  • November 9
  • December 14