Disclaimer: This guide is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. E-Verify policy, state requirements, and screen layouts change over time. Confirm current requirements at e-verify.gov and uscis.gov.
All account numbers, IDs, names, and email addresses shown in example screens are fictitious.
Contents
1. What Is E-Verify: An Overview
E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information entered by an employer from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm employment eligibility.
The system is administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in partnership with the Social Security Administration. Enrollment is free. Employers sign a memorandum of understanding setting out the rules of participation, then create a case for each new hire covered by the program.
What E-Verify does
Confirms that the identity and employment authorization information on a new hire’s Form I-9 matches government records.
Returns a case result, usually within seconds, that either confirms employment authorization or flags a mismatch requiring follow-up.
Creates an auditable record of each verification, tied to a case number recorded on or with the Form I-9.
What E-Verify does not do
It does not replace Form I-9. Every employer must still complete and retain Form I-9 for every new hire.
It does not screen job applicants. Cases may only be created after a job offer is accepted and Form I-9 is complete.
It does not reverify expiring employment authorization. That is handled on Form I-9, Supplement B.
It is not a background check and does not verify immigration status generally.
2. E-Verify and Form I-9
Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, is the key element of E-Verify’s web-based employment eligibility verification. E-Verify electronically compares information the employer enters from Form I-9 to records available to the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This verification confirms an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States.
Although E-Verify uses information from Form I-9, there are some important differences between Form I-9 and E-Verify requirements.
Form I-9 | E-Verify |
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* If a new hire has applied for but not yet received a Social Security number, complete Form I-9, allow the employee to begin work, and wait to create the E-Verify case until the number is issued.
Reference: USCIS List of Acceptable Documents (List B)
What the differences mean in practice
List B photo rule: an employee at an E-Verify employer who presents a List B identity document must present one that contains a photograph.
Social Security number: the field is required for every E-Verify case, even though Form I-9 leaves it optional for employers that do not use E-Verify.
Reverification: When temporary work authorization expires, complete Supplement B of Form I-9. Do not create a new E-Verify case.
3. E-Verify Feature: The Basics
Manual E-Verify management can be a nightmare, so it is built directly into the I-9 system. If your company has this feature, you no longer need to manually initiate E-Verify cases or re-enter data. The system initiates cases automatically.
1. A case is initiated when you complete Section 2 of an employee’s Form I-9
There is no button to push. When a company administrator or authorized representative signs Section 2 of the Form I-9, the system automatically initiates an E-Verify case for that employee in your integrated E-Verify account.
2. View the status of all cases on the E-Verify Cases page
The E-Verify Cases page sits under the Onboarding tab of your account. Sort, filter, and search functions let you narrow to just the cases you want to see.
3. Click any case for details or to take action
A company administrator can manage all cases from the dashboard. Open the menu for a case flagged for action and select View Case. That is where you take the steps needed to resolve it. Resolution steps vary by case type.
4. Watch the Dashboard
The Dashboard flags any E-Verify cases requiring attention. Cases needing an administrator’s action appear in the E-Verify Summary component, and the E-Verify component gives full statistics on your account’s cases.
The E-Verify feature is
Tested and certified by E-Verify to comply with government standards.
Built with a simple error-resolution workflow that explains errors and how to resolve them.
Designed to save the time and cost associated with using E-Verify manually.
4. Creating an E-Verify Account to Integrate
Do you need to create a new E-Verify account, or can you use one you already have? It depends. Work through the two questions below to find out.
Question 1: Do you have an existing E-Verify account, either on your own or through another software provider?
If yes, you may be able to use your existing account. Go to Question 2.
If no: you will need to set up a new account. Skip to "Configuring your new E-Verify account" below.
Question 2: Is your current account web services enabled?
Follow these steps to check:
Log in to your E-Verify account.
Click your name in the top right corner, click Company Account, then Company Profile.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for "Web Services" listed under "My Company is Configured to:". Other information may also be listed there.
If yes: you can use your existing account. Continue to Section 6, Integrating an EXISTING E-Verify Web Services-Enabled Account.
If no: you will need to set up a new account. The integration requires that your E-Verify account be enabled with Web Services, and adding Web Services to an existing account is not something E-Verify supports at this time.
Configuring your new E-Verify account
Begin by enrolling in E-Verify at e-verify.gov/employers/enrolling-in-e-verify.
Ignore the text on the email page about your company already being enrolled. You are fine to set up a new Web Services account.
Important: select Web Services – Employer as the type of account.
After completing enrollment and the 45-minute training course, continue to Section 5, Integrating a NEW E-Verify Web Services-Enabled Account.
If you already had an E-Verify account that was not web services enabled but you completed the training, call E-Verify and ask whether they will give you credit for the initial training course.
Web Services is tied to two different IDs
Company ID If you edit your Company ID or E-Verify account, you will lose ALL access to any open cases created under the previous account. This is irreversible and cannot be recovered through the I-9 system. Those open cases would have to be managed manually in E-Verify directly. Web Services User ID If you change your Web Services User ID to a new user, that user will lose ALL access to any open cases created under the previous user. This is irreversible and cannot be recovered through the I-9 system. E-Verify recommends using a generic account email and never modifying or switching users when using Web Services through a software provider. |
5. Integrating a NEW E-Verify Web Services-Enabled Account
You have opened your new web services-enabled E-Verify account. Here is how to complete the integration.
Log in to both your I-9 system account and your E-Verify account.
If you were required to create a new E-Verify account because your existing account was not web services enabled, use your newest Program Administrator ID to log in.
In the I-9 system, go to the Settings tab and click E-Verify in the left menu to open the E-Verify integration page.
Enter the required information. These values come from the E-Verify memorandum of understanding you signed and from your E-Verify account:
Is Demo Account: select False for a live account. Select True only if you are connecting an E-Verify demo environment.
Company ID: found on your E-Verify Company Profile page.
E-Verify Program Administrator ID, name, email, and phone: found on your E-Verify user profile. Enter the phone number as digits only.
Web Services credentials. Create your Web Services User ID and password in E-Verify:
Click your name in the top right corner, click Company Account, then Manage Users.
On the Manage Users page, click + Add User.
Enter the email address used during E-Verify enrollment, set the User Role to Web Services Access, and click Next.
Provide the required user information: your name and the phone number used during E-Verify enrollment.
The Web Services User ID autopopulates in the last field. Use the generated ID or override it with your own. A custom ID must be eight characters, letters, numbers, or a combination. It is not case-sensitive. Examples: USER1234 or 12345678.
Click Create User Account.
The next screen confirms the new user was created with the User Role of Web Access. You must now set the password for the Web Services ID by clicking Change Password at the bottom of the screen. This password has no impact on the one used to log in to your E-Verify account.
Back in the I-9 system, enter the Web Services credentials you just created. Use Update Credentials in the Web Services Credentials box to add or change the Web Services user ID and password. Once the credentials are saved, the box shows which user Web Services is set up for.
Click Submit. Click Submit only once. A blue banner appears at the top of the page confirming the E-Verify information has been updated.
Example only. The Company ID, the Program Administrator ID, and the Web Services user ID are three separate values. None of them will match what is shown here.
Notify your implementation contact that all steps are complete. A test will be run to confirm the integration is working properly.
6. Integrating an EXISTING E-Verify Web Services-Enabled Account
You have an existing web services-enabled account. Here is how to complete the integration.
Log in to both your I-9 system account and your E-Verify account.
If you need to confirm that your E-Verify account is already web services-enabled, see Section 4 before starting.
If your E-Verify account does not include a web services-enabled user, you may only see roles such as Program Administrator. To resolve this, create a Web Services user within E-Verify and make sure that user has the necessary access credentials. Those credentials are required for integration and for password updates.
In the I-9 system, go to the Settings screen and click E-Verify in the left menu to open the E-Verify integration page.
Enter the required information. These values come from the E-Verify memorandum of understanding you signed and from your E-Verify account:
Is Demo Account: select False for a live account. Select True only if you are connecting an E-Verify demo environment.
Company ID: found on your E-Verify Company Profile page.
E-Verify Program Administrator ID, name, email, and phone: found on your E-Verify user profile. Enter the phone number as digits only.
Web Services credentials. Locate your Web Services username in E-Verify:
Click your name in the top right corner, click Company Account, then Manage Users.
On the Manage Users page, click your Web Services username. Select the username assigned to your name and confirm the User Role shows Web Services Access.
Copy the user ID into the Web Services username field in the I-9 system.
Update the Web Services password in E-Verify. Scroll to the bottom of the Web Services User Information page and click Change Password.
Back in the I-9 system, use Update Credentials in the Web Services Credentials box to enter the Web Services user ID and the password you just set. Once saved, the box shows which user Web Services is set up for.
Click Submit. Click Submit only once. A blue banner appears at the top of the page confirming the E-Verify information has been updated.
Example only. The Company ID, the Program Administrator ID, and the Web Services user ID are three separate values. None of them will match what is shown here.
Notify your implementation contact that all steps are complete. A test will be run to confirm the integration is working properly.
Make sure each ID goes in the right field
The IDs are listed on your E-Verify Manage Users page. They are different usernames and IDs, and they can belong to different people. Take the Program Administrator information from the row with the User Role of Program Administrator, and the Web Services credentials from the row with the User Role of Web Services Access.
If the expected roles or IDs are not visible, confirm your account includes both a Program Administrator role and a Web Services Access role. Missing roles may require contacting your E-Verify administrator to update the account configuration.
Example only. Each ID is a distinct value tied to a specific user role.
No two values will be the same The Company ID, the Program Administrator ID, and the Web Services User ID are three separate account numbers and IDs. They will never match each other, and none of them will match the sample values in this guide. Copy each one directly from the corresponding row and field in your own E-Verify account. |
Web Services is tied to two different IDs
Company ID If you edit your Company ID or E-Verify account, you will lose ALL access to any open cases created under the previous account. This is irreversible and cannot be recovered through the I-9 system. Those open cases would have to be managed manually in E-Verify directly. Web Services User ID If you change your Web Services User ID to a new user, that user will lose ALL access to any open cases created under the previous user. This is irreversible and cannot be recovered through the I-9 system. E-Verify recommends using a generic account email and never modifying or switching users when using Web Services through a software provider. |
A warning reflecting this appears at the top of the E-Verify configuration page.