Form I-9 and E-Verify

The United States Federal Government requires all U.S employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all employees (both citizens and non citizens) that are hired to work in the United States. The university utilizes Form I-9 and E-Verify to comply with requirements of the United States government.

All individuals hired and receiving wages at the university must complete a federal I-9 form.
E-Verify is required for individuals that will be paid from a federal contract funding source that requires E-Verify. Not all new hires at the university will require E-Verify.

Form I-9 and E-Verify Information and Resources

Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Information and Resources

The university is required by federal law to complete and retain a Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification document for all regular and temporary employees hired after November 6, 1986. Completion of Form I-9 is a shared responsibility of both the employee and the university. Employees who are unable to meet federal I-9 requirements cannot lawfully be employed.

COMPLIANCE DEADLINES:

Form I-9 can be completed as soon as, but not before, a job offer has been extended and accepted.
SECTION #1 may be completed by the employee as soon as the job offer is accepted and must be completed no later than the end of the first day of employment.
SECTION #2 must be completed at an in person appointment by an authorized university representative no later than third business day after the first day employment. The first day of employment is the hire date provided to the SSC teams in the offer or hire forms

WHAT TO EXPECT AND PLAN FOR:

Employees are required to present original documentation (photocopies are not acceptable) confirming both identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Acceptable documentation for completion of the I-9 is available on the federal government's I-9 Central website.

Employees working on the Ann Arbor campus (including Michigan Medicine) receive an invitation via email from the university's I-9 partner to complete Section One of the Form I-9 electronically and schedule an appointment to have Section Two of the Form I-9 completed at a Regional I-9 Center. Flint and Dearborn campus employees should follow the instructions provided by human resources in order to complete Form I-9.

Employees who are working out of the area or out of state should work with their hiring department and follow the Remote I-9 Process. All federal compliance deadline still apply.

I-9 Regional Center Locations

Appointments are required at all locations and walk-ins are not accepted. To view the regional locations/hours and schedule an appointment, visit the Shared Services Center website for information. The centers are co-located with MCard offices in each of the major Ann Arbor campus locations.

Remote I-9

The Shared Services Center Service is available to provide assistance to unit/department administrators by authorizing a knowledgeable person in a remote location to complete the I-9 process on behalf of the University of Michigan.

To determine if an employee is eligible for a Remote I-9, consult the Remote I-9 Decision Tool.

For more information about the Remote I-9 Process, review these guidelines or review the Shared Service Center I-9 resources.

Per federal requirements, all University of Michigan employees are required to complete an I-9 form in order to begin employment. This includes those who will be working out of state or outside of reasonable travel distance to any U-M campus.

I-9 and E-Verify Compliance Officer Resources

Responsibility for federal I-9 compliance is managed within the individual unit. Each unit should identify a Unit I-9 Compliance Officer to monitor overall unit compliance. The Unit Compliance Officer role is critical to the success of the university in maintaining federal I-9 compliance.

Unit I-9 Compliance Officer Role, Responsibilities and Resources review this document for a full description of the role and responsibilities of the Unit I-9 Compliance Officer, and to access helpful resources.

Not sure who the Unit Compliance Officer is for your area? Search here.

E-Verify Information and Resources

E-Verify is a federal requirement that is separate, but related to the Form I-9 and applies to faculty, staff, and temporaries that receive pay from a funding source that requires screening through the E-Verify system. The university is required to use E-Verify to validate the identity and work eligibility of faculty, staff, and temporaries working on contracts that contain the FAR E-Verify requirement.

COMPLIANCE DEADLINES

The University of Michigan is a research institution and compliance with the E-Verify program requires the cooperation of all units and campuses receiving federal contract funding. Non compliance can result in suspending or debarring of federal contracts.

NEW HIRES: Faculty, staff, and temporaries who are immediately paid from a funding source that requires E-Verify must be E-Verified within 3 days of date of hire.
INTERNAL TRANSFERS: Existing faculty, staff, and temporaries that are transferred to a funding source that requires E-Verify must be E-Verified within 30 days of the effective date of appointment to this funding source.

The E-Verify process requires an appointment between the employee and a U-M E-Verify representative. A new Form I-9 is completed and information from the I-9 form is submitted to E-Verify. The meeting typically takes approximately 20 minutes.

Use the E-Verify checklist for units to help determine when an employee should be E-Verified.

SCHEDULE AN E-VERIFY APPOINTMENT:

Units should initiate the E-Verify process via the Shared Services Center. E-Verify Request form

The following information is needed to schedule an E-Verify appointment. ,

Employee Name and UMID #
Parent Project Grant (P/G) # that has the E-Verify requirement
Shortcode(s) that employee will be paid from that is tied to this P/G #
Effective date of appointment to this shortcode(s)

Federal Notices are Displayed in all the Regional I-9 Centers and Are Available here for Optional Display in Your Unit

For more information about E-Verify, send your request to [email protected].

U-M Units Hiring F-1 Students Seeking STEM OPT Extension

U-M Units hiring F-1 students applying for the STEM extension of Optional Practical Training (OPT) STEM extension process can view the university's E-Verify number here (requires U-M login credentials).

The E-Verify number and employer name are required to complete Form I-765, the Application for Employment Authorization.

E-Verify Frequently Asked Questions

Is U-M required to use E-Verify?: Yes. Federal regulations that require the use of E-Verify took effect in September 2009. All organizations that hold contracts that contain the FAR E-Verify clause are required to use E-Verify to validate employee identity and employment eligibility within the time periods established by the regulations.
Who is affected by E-Verify?: All faculty and staff (including temporary staff) hired after November 6, 1986 working on contracts that contain the FAR E-Verify requirement. Citizenship status is not a factor in determining who must E-Verify.
Are all new university hires e-verified?: No. The university's current enrollment in the federal E-Verify program does not require or permit e-verification of all new hires. Instead, only individuals (both new hires and existing university faculty, staff and temporary employees) that are paid from contracts that require E-Verify screening can be E-Verified.
If I work on a federal grant will I need to be E-Verified?: No. Individuals working on federal grants do not need to E-Verify at this time. Only individuals working on contracts with the FAR E-Verify requirement need to be E-Verified.
I received a notice that a federal contract in my unit contains the E-Verify requirement. What should I do?: If you are responsible for administration of a federal contract in your unit, you should contact the Unit I-9 Compliance Officer in your unit. Your Unit I-9 Compliance Officer, or another department representative, can submit a request through the Shared Service Center to arrange for completion of the E-Verify process. If you are a faculty or staff member (including student and non-student temporary) working on a contract that requires E-Verification, you will need to complete a new I-9 form and be E-Verified within required timelines.
What are the required compliance timelines associated with E-Verify?: Newly hired Faculty, staff (including temporary) must be E-Verified within 3 days of hire.; Existing UM Faculty, staff (including temporary) must be E-Verified within 30 days of beginning work on a contract that contains the E-Verify requirement.
How should I prepare to be E-Verified?: You can prepare for E-Verification by ensuring that the information you have on file with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and/or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is correct and up-to-date. For example, if your name has changed, but you have not updated your Social Security card, you should visit the Social Security Administration office nearest you to make this change. If your information does not match the information that either SSA or DHS have on file for you, then you will likely receive a "tentative non-confirmation" (TNC) when you are E-Verified.
What documents do I need to complete an I-9 form?: Acceptable documentation for completing an I-9 is available from the federal government's I-9 Central website.
What happens when an employee’s information can’t be verified or doesn’t match federal records?: When there is a discrepancy, the government’s E-Verify system provides notification of a “tentative non-confirmation” (TNC) of identity and/or employment eligibility. Generally, this can be corrected by the employee with a visit to your local Social Security Administration office or a call to the Department of Homeland Security (as applicable). In the event that a TNC is received, Human Resources will provide guidance directly to the individual. An employee who receives notice of TNC has eight federal government work days to contact the appropriate federal agency to initiate resolution of the information mismatch.
Is release time from work available to resolve a tentative non-confirmation (TNC)?: Individuals who receive a tentative non-confirmation (TNC) from the federal E-Verify system and choose to contest with the Social Security Administration or Department of Homeland Security are provided release time to resolve the TNC. Release time will be considered excused unpaid time. If the staff member has vacation/PTO available it can be used with appropriate approval of the supervisor/manager. Prior approval of the individual's supervisor or manager is required. Release time should be recorded in accordance with the Unit/Department’s standard time-keeping processes.
Can employees continue to work and be paid while they are correcting an error that led to a TNC?: Yes. Federal guidelines allow for faculty and staff to continue working while discrepancies are being investigated and corrected as long as the employee initiates resolution of the TNC within the allowable time period (8 federal government working days).
Who is exempt from the E-Verify requirement?: If you were hired on or before November 6, 1986, you do not need to be E-Verified. The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) took effect on November 7, 1986 and began the use of the form I-9 to confirm an individual's identity and eligibility to work in the U.S. If an I-9 was not required of you because your date of hire preceded November 6, 1986 and there is no break in your service with the university, you do not need to be E-Verified.
If I only work on a federal contract for a short period of time, do I have to E-Verify?: Yes. In order to meet the federal requirements associated with E-Verify, the university must E-Verify any individual paid from a contract with the E-Verify requirement, even if that work is for a short period of time.
Does the E-Verify requirement apply to subcontracts?: Yes. The E-Verify requirement covers subcontractors if a prime contract includes the clause. For subcontracts that flow from those prime contracts, the rule extends the E-Verify requirement to subcontracts for services or construction with a value over $3,000.
Do faculty and staff need to learn how to use the system?: No. The entry of information into E-Verify will be done by authorized UM representatives during a meeting to complete the E-Verify process.
Can my unit E-Verify someone who may work on a federal contract in the future?: No. The university's enrollment in E-Verify does not permit completion of the process in advance of working on the covered contract. Only individuals working on contracts with the E-Verify requirement are E-Verified.
I work in a unit or department that receives federal contracts, what should I do?: You need to monitor all federal contracts and amendments for the FAR E-Verify requirement and initiate the E-Verify process immediately upon receipt of a contract with this requirement.
How can I get the university's E-Verify number?: The university's E-Verify number is considered confidential in nature. Therefore, the university will only release this information to a university unit or department on a need to know basis. A unit or department can send a request to [email protected].

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Form I-9 and E-Verify

Form I-9 and E-Verify Information and Resources

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