I-9 Documents for F-1 Students and OPT
Which acceptable documents work — and your right to choose them. General info, not legal advice.
On OPT or STEM OPT, your Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766 EAD) is a List A document — it’s all you need.
How I-9 documents work
To complete Form I-9 you show your employer either one document from List A (which proves both who you are and that you’re authorized to work) or one document from List B (identity) plus one from List C (work authorization). You never need all three — it’s List A, or List B + List C. See the full lists of acceptable documents.
Documents you’ll commonly use
F-1 students working on-campus or on CPT (who don’t have an EAD) typically present a List A combination instead: your foreign passport together with your Form I-94 and your Form I-20. Make sure your I-20 and I-94 reflect your current authorization before your start date.
You choose which documents to show — not your employer
This matters: you decide which acceptable documents to present. An employer cannot require a specific document, reject a valid one, or ask for more than the I-9 requires — doing so is illegal “document abuse.” The documents described here are common examples for your situation, not a required list.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules depend on your individual circumstances — check USCIS I-9 Central or a qualified immigration attorney for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
The Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766 EAD) issued for OPT is a List A document and is all you need. Keep it unexpired for your work dates.
Usually with a List A combination — the foreign passport plus Form I-94 plus Form I-20 — which together document F-1 work authorization for on-campus or CPT employment.