Employment Eligibility Verification

Completing the I-9 Process

 

Employment verification is important both to the university and to employees. In order to comply with federal law, GW must verify that employees are eligible to work in the United States prior starting work.

The university is required by federal law to verify the eligibility of an employee to legally work in the United States and at GW. 

1. Every employee hired by the university must complete Section 1 of the I-9 on or before the date of hire. Section 1 will need to be completed online. See the Electronic I-9 FAQ for more details on how to access and complete Section 1.

2. Section 2 requires you to present your documentation in-person at a campus location listed below. This must be completed within three (3) business days of the start of employment. A list of acceptable documents for proving identity and employment eligibility will be presented to you after completing Section 1 of the I-9. Please ensure you complete this requirement per Federal regulation.

3. Section 3 for reverifications also requires you to present your documentation in-person at a campus location listed below.

 

Remote I-9 Procedure

Occasionally, a department will hire a faculty or staff member who will not be physically in close proximity to one of our I-9 verification centers and may not be able to access a GW Authorized I-9 Representative in their local area to complete the I-9 process. To facilitate the timely completion of I-9s, it is the employees’ responsibility to click the electronic Form I-9 link to access the I-9 Anywhere service. The electronic Form I-9 will direct the employee to complete the Section 1 of the I-9, except they will be brought through the scheduling tool to set their Section 2 completion appointment in accordance with federal law requirements.

Be sure to pick a day and time that you are fairly certain you will be able to make, as the university incurs no show fees. Please also note that Equifax uses a nationwide network of USCIS compliant remote service providers. This can include retail chains such as the UPS store and other small local businesses. These site operators are trained with completing Section 2 and follow proper CDC COVID-19 guidelines.

Please contact HRIS directly with any questions or concerns at [email protected] or 571-553-3679.

 

Updating and Reverifying the I-9 Form

For employees whose work authorization documentation expires, the I-9 Form must be reverified in Human Resource Management and Development (HRMD). It is the employee's responsibility to present updated work authorization documentation to HRMD on or before the date the current authorization expires. The Bureau of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recommends that employees apply through the appropriate agency for new work authorization at least 90 days before the expiration date. Failure to provide updated documentation may lead to termination since we cannot allow the employee to continue to work under federal law standards. 

For employees who are being rehired, the I-9 Form must be updated or reverified by HRMD or by a department authorized by HRMD to complete reverifications. If an employee has been rehired after a lapse of one year, a new form may need to be completed, as I-9 forms are only kept on file for one year from the date of termination or three years from the original date of employment, whichever is greater. Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) may be contacted at 571-553-3679 to verify that a completed I-9 is still on file.

 

General I-9 Information

 

What is the I-9 form?

The I-9 form is the Employment Eligibility Verification Form which helps employers verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States.

Who needs to complete an I-9 form?

All employees who perform labor or services in return for wages must complete an I-9 form.

How long do new hires have to complete an I-9 form?

Employers must ensure that employees fully complete Section 1 of the I-9 form on or before the date of hire. Section 2 of the I-9 form must be verified by an authorized university representative within 3 business days of the hire.

Can documents supporting the I-9 form be faxed?

No. Employees must present original documents. The only exception is a certified copy of a birth certificate.

Do I need to appear in person to complete my I-9 form?

Yes. Because an authorized representative at GW must attest to identity as well as employment eligibility, an employee must appear in person to complete Section 2 of his/her own I-9 form. 

Where can the I-9 form be completed?

I-9 forms may be completed at one of GW's designated verification centers.

In what circumstances does the I-9 form need to be reverified?

If you have a work authorization that will expire in the future, you must reverify your I-9 form no later than the date that the work authorization expires.

Will I be notified when my work authorization is about to expire?

While Human Resource Management and Development will make every effort to notify employees of impending expirations of work authorizations, it is the responsibility of the employee to ensure that their eligibility for employment is maintained.

 

I-9 Information for Hiring Managers

Should hiring managers tell new hires to bring a driver's license and Social Security Card?

No. To avoid charges of discrimination, employees must be able to choose which document or combination of documents they want to present from the list of acceptable documents.

Do independent contractors need to complete an I-9 form at GW?

No. If you contract with another company for the services of an individual and pay the contracted company for those services, the contracted individual is not required to complete an I-9 form at GW. The contracted company is responsible for that individual's I-9 form.

 

Electronic I-9

The Electronic I-9 process replaces the former paper form-based process used to complete Section 1 of the I-9. If you have a question,please contact or via email at [email protected].

In order to complete Section 1 of the I-9:

• Go to the Equifax I-9 Management portal
• Enter the employer code 14290 when prompted
• Complete the rest of the form as prompted

Once Section 1 is completed, the list of acceptable documents for Section 2 will be presented to you. Within three (3) business days of your start date, please bring the required documents to one of our I-9 verification centers to complete Section 2 of the I-9 in person.

 

Electronic I-9 FAQ

Q: What is GW’s Employer Code?

A: 14290

Q: How do I sign Section 1 if the form is electronic?

A: You will be asked to enter your initials as they would appear based on the name you entered in Section 1.

Q: Can I use a nickname on Section 1?

A: No. The I-9 form is an official Federal document, and you should use your legal name as it appears on your backup documentation.

Q: I don’t have access to the Internet. Can you still accept paper forms?

A: Yes. While the electronic version is strongly preferred, we can upload a full paper I-9 to our electronic I-9 service. Depending upon availability, you can also fill out Section 1 electronically at the Faculty & Staff Service Center (FSSC) in Foggy Bottom or with Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) on the VSTC campus.

If you are filling out a paper form ahead of time, please make sure you have the most current form, or contact one of our I-9 verification centers for help.

Q: I am at a remote location and cannot access one of the verification centers. What should I do?

A: Refer to the Remote I-9 Procedure for more information.

 

E-Verify

E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that allows employers to verify the employment eligibility of their employees, regardless of citizenship. Based on the information provided by the employee on his or her Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 form), E-Verify checks this information electronically against records contained in DHS and Social Security Administration (SSA) databases.

The university must E-Verify our employees as soon as the job offer is made and accepted and within three (3) days of the employee's start date. This impacts all university employees assigned to a federal contract that includes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

The GW E-Verify number is 335965.

Note: U.S. Social Security Numbers (SSN) are required when completing the I-9 because GW participates in E-Verify (# 335965) You would need to have applied for an SSN prior to completing an I-9.

New hires: Within three (3) business days after date of hire, verification of newly hired employees must be initiated.

Existing employees newly assigned to a contract: Within 90 calendar days from the contract award date, each employee already on staff who is assigned to the contract or 30 days after assignment to the contract, whichever is later.