June 2011

Driver's License Verification

E-Verify has expanded its information sources to include driver’s license records, which strengthens the integrity of the program.

Starting June 12, 2011, E-Verify will collect driver’s license information for employees who present a state-issued driver’s license as a “List B” document. You will notice new screens that support this change; and based on customer feedback, the list of Form I-9 documents displayed in E-Verify will be expanded to include “List B” and “List C” documents consistent with Form I-9.

U.S. Passport and Visa Number Entry

While most U.S. Passport numbers are nine digits and most U.S. visa numbers are eight digits, some are not. Last year, we implemented a workaround for entering document numbers that do not fit the usual pattern. That workaround is no longer necessary as we have implemented a permanent fix as part of our June 2011 upgrades.

What you need to know:

  • U.S. Passport numbers must be between six and nine alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers).
  • The “C” that precedes a U.S. Passport Card number is no longer case sensitive.
  • U.S. visa numbers must be exactly eight alphanumeric characters (letters and numbers). Entering a visa number is still optional though if an employee provides one, we encourage you to enter it, as doing so may prevent a tentative nonconfirmation (TNC).

Password Change

Do you dread changing your E-Verify password? There are few things more frustrating than learning that your password does not meet our security requirements and never knowing which requirements your password failed to meet.

While loosening the password requirements isn’t an option (see note below), we have improved the error messages for when you enter an unacceptable password. If you enter a password that does not meet our requirements, we will tell you which requirements you did not meet and what you need to do to create an acceptable password.

NOTE: U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy sets strict password standards. Check out DHS 4300A Sensitive Systems Handbook for more information (pages 154-155 address password standards).

Add User

We have upgraded the user registration process to improve security and save time. You will no longer need to provide a new user with his or her user ID and password! E-Verify will send new users a confirmation email that includes the user ID, temporary password, E-Verify login website address and steps for getting started.

What you need to know:

  • When adding a user, you will still be able to accept the suggested user ID or create your own.
  • E-Verify will send the confirmation email to the email address you entered when you added the user, so be sure to enter the correct email address.
  • There is no way to resend the email. If the user deletes the email or never receives it, you must reset the user’s password and provide him or her with the user ID and password you created.

Hire Date

We have modified the hire date in E-Verify so that it matches the Section 2 “Certification” date on Form I-9. As of June 2011, you may select a future hire date and you will use the Section 2 “Certification” date from the employee’s Form I-9 as the hire date in E-Verify.

Prior to June 2011, if you created a case in E-Verify after the employee accepted a job offer but before the employee began work for pay, you had to select the date the case was created as the hire date because E-Verify wouldn’t permit you to select a future date.

This modification also enables us to better accommodate our E-Verify users in Guam, who have had to ensure an additional workaround because Guam is a day ahead of the continental United States.

What you need to know:

  • The hire date is the date the employee began (or will begin) work for pay. Use the Section 2 “Certification” date from the employee’s Form I-9 as the hire date in E-Verify.
  • You may select a hire date that is up to 365 calendar days in the future.
  • The ability to select a future hire date does not change the rule that prohibits prescreening. A prospective employee MUST have accepted an employment offer before you may complete Form I-9 and create a case in E-Verify. Selecting a future hire date simply eliminates a confusing workaround in cases where E-Verify is used after an employee accepts an employment offer, but before he or she begins work for pay.
  • If you rehired an employee and completed Section 3 of Form I-9, use the “Date of Rehire” from Section 3 of the employee’s Form I-9 as the hire date in E-Verify.
  • If the employee’s hire date changes after you have created the case in E-Verify, no additional action is required in E-Verify as you cannot change the hire date once you’ve created the case. You must, however, make a correction to the Section 2 “Certification” date on the employee’s Form I-9 if the employee’s hire date changes.

Help Text

Did you know you can find help while logged in to E-Verify? Simply click on any blue question mark icon. E Verify help text offers instructions on selecting documents, entering employee information, case status and more. We have focused on improving guidance within E-Verify, and our June 2011 upgrades feature more than 30 new and revised help text items.

Case Details

We have upgraded the “Case Details” screen available to E-Verify users to improve reporting capabilities. Users will now be able to easily locate detailed information for each case created in E-Verify.

Added fields include:

  • List A Document
  • List B Document
  • List C Document
  • Employer Case ID
  • Three-day rule exception reason

E-Verify Employer Agent Interface Enhancements

We have upgraded several aspects of E-Verify for E-Verify employer agents. Many of these changes are a result of studies done with E-Verify employer agents over the past two years, so we hope they improve your E-Verify experience.

Upgrades include:

  • All program administrators will now receive emails confirming the enrollment of new clients. This improvement takes all the guess work out of determining when users may begin creating cases for new clients.
  • The list of client companies is now sorted alphabetically increasing the efficiency of the case creation process for all E-Verify employer agent users.
  • E-Verify will evaluate the “Organization Designation” of the applicable client company when users create cases. This will determine whether or not the three-day rule exception reason “Federal Contractor with FAR E-Verify Clause verifying an existing employee” is listed.
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