Online I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires employers to verify the identity and work authorization of all individuals hired after Nov. 6, 1986, whether they are U.S. citizens or not.
Employers comply with this mandate by completing an I-9 form for all newly hired employees.
The user guide is designed for you to learn at your own pace, to include visual examples of the I-9 system to give a hands on learning experience. The user guide also includes:
- Online I-9 and e-verify process
- I-9 compliance
- How to complete sections 1 and 2 of the I-9
- Acceptable documents
- Special circumstances
I-9 Acceptable Documents Reference
Please refer I-9 questions to i9@vt.edu. If immediate assistance is needed, call 540-231-9331.
Q: How do I determine whether an I-9 is required for my employee?
A: Below are the steps to determine if an I-9 is required:
- Open Banner form PZII9HS for the employee
- Does the employee have an E-Verify case number?
- NO -- complete an I-9 (we want all employees to be E-Verified)
- YES -- continue with the next step
- Open Banner form PWIEMPV for the employee
- Review the job Start and End dates
- Is there a break in service of more than one year?
- NO -- do NOT complete an I-9
- YES -- continue with the next step
- Verify that an I-9 is not already underway. If it is don't start another. If not, complete the I-9.
NOTE: Review the employee authorization documents for non-residents as they may have changed. And for wage employees, be sure that the Banner End date reflects when they actually stopped working.
Q: When does the employee complete section 1 of the I-9?
A: On or before the first day of employment.
Q: When does the employer complete section 2 of the I-9?
A: Within 3 business days of the starting work date.
Q: Can I accept documents that have expired or are about to expire?
A: Documents that have expired as of the first day of work are not acceptable. Do not refuse to hire an individual because of a future expiration date though.
Q: Are document copies acceptable?
A: No. Employees must present original documents. The only exception is that an employee may present a certified copy of a birth certificate.
If you need further assistance with this determination, send an email to i9@vt.edu indicating the employee's ID number and last name (or initials).
Please do not complete an I-9 unless it is needed.
- Processing a new I-9 when one is not required: The university is charged for each I-9 processed. It is very important to make sure that a new I-9 form is needed before processing.
- Unnecessary attachments: Only documents required for photo matching should be attached to the I-9. That includes the U.S. Passport or Passport Card, a Permanent Resident Card, and an Employment Authorization Card. Any other attachments can result in a penalty.
- Photo attachment is not legible: Most commonly, the attachment is much too dark to confirm the image. The attachments must be clear and legible for anyone that opens the attachment to view. Always verify legibility after attaching the scanned document. Adjust the darkness to make the image legible or rescan and attach again.
- Not using the Non-Everify location: At the beginning of fall and spring semesters, the Non-Everify location must be used when hiring a student in a non-resident alien status who has a social security number. Do not enter the 6-digit org number on the electronic I-9. Otherwise, the response from E-Verify will be a DHS tentative non-confirmation which if not resolved could result in the employee receiving a final response of not being employment authorized (according to E-Verify).