I-9 & E-Verify

The Employee Eligibility Verification I-9 process is documentation required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and establishes an employee's identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Pursuant to the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, all U.S. employers are required to verify the identity and work eligibility of all employees hired after November 6, 1986, whether those employees are U.S. citizens or not.

Department Managers and Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their newly hired employees comply with the entire I-9 process and monitor the current status of a department's I-9s. Rutgers University processes employee I-9s through a centralized system. However, employee managers and supervisors have an obligation to ensure that their employees meet all deadlines as outlined under federal law.

All new employees at Rutgers, are required to complete an I-9 and present proper identification. Section I of the I-9 must be done on or before the first day of work and section II within the first three days of work.

I-9 E-Verify Process

I-9 & E-Verify Process Overview

Newly hired employees must complete Section I of the I-9 employee verification process no later than the end of their first day of employment. Newly hired or prospective employees may complete Section I of the I-9:

• On their first day of employment (i.e., the actual commencement of employment of an employee for wages or other remuneration referred to as date of hire in the DHS regulations);
• Before their first day of hire, provided they have completed all contingencies for employment and have been entered into the University payroll system. In the case of legacy UMDNJ employees, Human Resources may schedule prospective employees to come in before their first day of employment to complete Section I and Section II of the I-9 and other new hire paperwork.

*Green - Employee Completes By End Of First Day; Blue - Action Completed By End Of Third Day

Section I of the I-9 (To be completed end by of employees first day)

In order to complete the Section I of the I-9 employment verification process, employees will be required to provide certain biographical information to their hiring department or human resources representative.

Section II of the I-9 (To be completed end by of employees third day)

Additionally, by the end of their third day of employment, employees will have to show valid government-issued documentation establishing their identity and eligibility to work in the United States in order to complete Section II of the I-9 Process. List of Acceptable Documents for the I-9 Process can be found here. Employers must complete and sign Section 2 of the I-9 within three business days of their date of hire. Prospective employees who have completed all contingencies for employment may meet with the department I-9 preparer prior to their first day of employment in order for the department I-9 preparer to review their identifying documents.

Legacy Rutgers I-9 & E-Verify Process

1. Job is offered and is accepted by employee.
2. Department I-9 preparer reaches out to the employee to schedule an appointment to complete the I-9 in person. Preparer should email list of acceptable documents to employee for guidance on what documents to bring to appt. A List of Acceptable Documents for the I-9 Process can be found here.
3. Employee comes in for scheduled appointment and completes section I of the I-9 in person. Guardian can be accessed through my Rutgers portal at the following link https://my.rutgers.edu/portal/render.userLayoutRootNode.uP . If I-9 preparer access is needed, access can be requested at the following link https://hrapps.rutgers.edu/PARS. (Note: if employee is not able to make it to any of the three campuses to complete the I-9, the Remote Hire process can be used. Please contact UHR for more details on this process if needed).
4. Employee provides I-9 preparer with original unexpired identity and employment authorization documents to complete section II of the I-9. A List of Acceptable Documents for the I-9 Process can be found here.
5. Once Section I & II are completed, department I-9 preparer marks the I-9 completed and approved and makes sure it gets through the E-Verify portion of the process. If there are any issues with the E-Verify case, they will need to be resolved before the I-9 is employment authorized. The employee can continue to work while E-Verify issues are being taken care of.

Legacy UMDNJ I-9 & E-Verify Process

1. Job is offered and is accepted by employee.
2. HR Generalist/Department I-9 preparer reaches out to the employee to schedule an appt to complete the I-9 in person. HR Generalist/Department I-9 preparer should email list of acceptable documents to employee for guidance on what documents to bring to appt. A List of Acceptable Documents for the I-9 Process can be found here.
3. Employee comes in for scheduled appt and completes section I of the I-9 in person. Guardian can be accessed through my Rutgers portal at the following link https://my.rutgers.edu/portal/render.userLayoutRootNode.uP . If I-9 preparer access is needed, access can be requested at the following link https://hrapps.rutgers.edu/PARS. (Note: if employee is not able to make it to any of the three campuses to complete the I-9, the Remote Hire process can be used. Please contact UHR for more details on this process if needed).
4. Employee provides HR Generalist/Department I-9 preparer with original unexpired identity and employment authorization documents to complete section II of the I-9.
5. Once Section I & II are completed, HR Generalist/Department I-9 preparer marks the I-9 completed and approved and makes sure it gets through the E-Verify portion of the process. If there are any issues with the E-Verify case, they will need to be resolved before the I-9 is employment authorized. The employee can continue to work while E-Verify issues are being taken care of.

Additional Resources

I-9 Information

What is the I-9?

The Employee Eligibility Verification I-9 process is documentation required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and establishes an employee's identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Pursuant to the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, all U.S. employers are required to verify the identity and work eligibility of all employees hired after November 6, 1986, whether those employees are U.S. citizens or not.

What is E-Verify?

E-Verify is an online, free service administered by the United States government that compares the information provided by an employee through the I-9 process with government records to verify an individual's identity. If the information matches, the employer receives verification that the employee is eligible to work in the United States. As a federal contractor, Rutgers participates in the E-Verify program. The University's E-Verify Company Identification Number/Client Company Identification Number is 319888.

Guardian I-9 System

Rutgers University requires all I-9 forms to be completed electronically using the Guardian I-9 System. Guardian is fully integrated with E-Verify in order to create a relatively simple and seemless verification process for employees.

Instructional Materials

Provided by UHR

1. UHR I-9 Training Documents [NetID Required]

Provided by the US Government

1. List of Acceptable Documents for the I-9 Process
2. USCIS I-9 Handbook for Employers M-274
3. E-Verify User Manual for Employers M-775
4. E-Verify Supplemental Guide for Federal Contractors 2010
5. Document Receipts
6. Forms and Documents: Acceptable Documents
7. Section I
8. Section II
9. E-Verify
10. Section III
11. Continuous Employment/Reasonable Expectation of Employment
12. Resolving a Tentative Nonconfirmation (E-Verify)

I-9 Resources

• I-9 Central (I-9 Information, Rules, and Instructions)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Manager and Supervisor Responsibilities

Manager and Supervisor Responsibilities

Department Managers and Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their newly hired employees comply with the entire I-9 process and monitor the current status of a department's I-9s. Rutgers University processes employee I-9s through a centralized system. However, employee managers and supervisors have an obligation to ensure that their employees meet all deadlines as outlined under federal law.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

The United States Government enacted the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act which requires all U.S. employers to verify the identity and work authorization or eligibility of all employees hired after November 6, 1986, whether U.S. citizens or not.

Employers have certain responsibilities under immigration law during the hiring process. Employers who violate the law may be subject to penalties as explained on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.

Questions/Support

• For I-9 & E-Verify support please contact a HR Compliance Coordinator for assistance. Contact information can be found on our directory under “Talent Acquisition”.
• Rutgers University International Student & Scholar Services
  Contact International Student & Scholar Services
  Area of Expertise: explaining federal immigration regulations and providing immigration-related services.