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Introduction Introduction The Employment Eligibility Verification (EEV) User Manual is the primary reference tool for ordering General Information Services, Inc. s EEV product, our web interface service to the Federal Government s E-Verify Program. The manual s purpose is to assist employers who are trying to verify employment eligibility for newly hired employees through E-Verify, utilizing GIS s equest+ system. The manual is not meant to be an instruction manual for the processes, legal requirements or rules as set forth by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Social Security Administration (SSA). Please follow the advisements as stated by the DHS and the SSA with regard to any differences. The EEV product involves verification checks of both the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration s databases through E-Verify and a direct link to GIS s equest+ system. The equest+ system utilizes the criteria set forth by those respective government agencies, specifically social security numbers, alien registration numbers and I-94 (arrival/departure) numbers to perform these verification checks. The process involves the initial order of a verification check followed by viewing the case results in a standardized report through equest+. Upon receipt of the results the employer will acknowledge, possibly refer, and resolve all cases. page 2
Table of Contents Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 G Requirements for Use...4 Accessing the E-Verify Case...5 Initial Verification...7 Employment Authorized...8 Tentative Non-Confirmation... 10 Duplicate Case... 18 Photo Matching... 22 Reports... 26 Glossary... 31 page 3
Requirements for Use 1 1 Requirements for Use The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) require that employers adhere to the following rules: Verification requests must not be made on employees hired before the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed. The verification process should not be used to re-verify employment authorization. The employee must be newly hired, unless the employer is a Federal Contractor with a contract containing the E-Verify clause that was signed after September 8, 2009. If this applies, contact your Account Manager to notate your account accordingly. The Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) must be completed prior to the verification request. This is the source document to perform the EEV/E-Verify. Verification requests must be made within three business days of hire. Verification requests must not be made selectively and should include all new hires. The verification process cannot be used for pre-screening purposes. page 4
Initial Verification 3 2 Accessing the E-Verify Case Step 1: Once you complete the EEV/E-Verify order process within the GIS Compli-9 system, you must close each EEV/E-Verify case. In order to complete this process, you should navigate to the Compli-9 system, log in, click the Employees hyperlink from the Dashboard Menu, and then click the Select hyperlink of the employee for which you want to close the EEV case. Step 2: The Employee Documents page displays, and the status of the EEV order for the employee displays within the EEV Information section in the upper section of the page. Click the View Details / Close EEV hyperlink that displays next to the EEV Status field from the EEV Information section. page 5
Initial Verification 3 Step 3: The Background Report page from the GIS equest+ system displays. From the Background Report page, point to the EEV menu item and then select Status to continue the EEV closure process. Step 4: The Employment Eligibility Verification (EEV) Case Details page displays. The Case Details page serves as a historical record of the case you initiated via the work order. The Case Details page consists of the Initial Verification, Initial Verification Results, and Initial Verification Information sections. The Case Details page also includes the Case Verification Number field, which the E-Verify system is automatically designed to provide to both the GIS equest+ system and the Compli-9 system. The Case Verification Number value also displays on the Form I-9 PDF file within the Compli-9 system. This concludes the process by which you can access the EEV case within the E-Verify system. Refer to the next Initial Verification chapter for instructions on the verification and closure processes. page 6
Initial Verification 3 3 Initial Verification Step 1: Within seconds of the initial verification, the Initial Eligibility field from the Initial Verification Results section of the Case Details page displays the initial status of the case. The initial status for the Initial Eligibility field can display as Employment Authorized, SSA Tentative Non-Confirmation, or DHS Verification In Process. The following example demonstrates the Employment Authorized status for the Initial Eligibility field. The following definitions provide details for each possible status for the Initial Eligibility field: EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZED Indicates that employment eligibility has been verified and you can close the case. SSA TENTATIVE NONCONFIRMATION Indicates that the information provided could not be verified. Under these circumstances, you must notify the employee of the Initial Eligibility status and then refer the employee to the Social Security Administration (SSA) if they opt to contest the status. DHS VERIFICATION IN PROCESS Indicates that the information provided to the Social Security Administration (SSA) matches the information in the SSA s records, however, the SSA is unable to confirm work eligibility of the non-citizen employee. As a result, the case has been subsequently forwarded to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS usually responds to these cases within 24 hours but they are permitted up to 3 Federal Government workdays. Please check the results daily for a response from the DHS. DUPLICATE CASE Indicates that the information provided for the EEV case matches information from an existing case entered by the employer in the E-Verify system. Under these circumstances, you must continue with creating the new case, update the case information and continue, or close the current case before you can proceed. page 7
Employment Authorized 4 4 Employment Authorized Step 1: The Initial Eligibility field in the Initial Verification Results section of the Case Details page displays a status of SSA Employment Authorized. Click Close Case. Step 2: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Enter Case Resolution section with the Is (Employee Name) currently employed with this company? field. Select the Yes or No radio button in response to this field. page 8
Employment Authorized 4 Step 3: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Select the appropriate statement and click Close Case field. Select the appropriate closure statement option in response to this field and then click Close Case. Step 4: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Case Resolution option, which includes the closure statement you selected in the previous step and the date by which you resolved the case in the Resolved Date field. At this point you have closed the case in the E-Verify system and completed the corresponding work order in the GIS equest+ system. page 9
Tentative Non-Confirmation 5 5 Tentative Non-Confirmation A Tentative Non-Confirmation (TNC) status is sent from the SSA and/or the DHS when the information submitted to E-Verify does not initially match the information in the SSA or DHS databases. A SSA Tentative Non-confirmation (TNC) case result may occur because the employee s: Name, SSN, or date of birth is incorrect in SSA records. Name change was not reported to SSA. Citizenship or immigration status was not updated with SSA. SSA record contains another type of error. A DHS Tentative Non-confirmation (TNC) case result may occur because the employee s: Name, A-number, and/or I-94 number are incorrect in DHS records. ID photo differs from the photo in DHS records. Information was not updated in his/her DHS records. Citizenship or immigration status changed. Record contains another type of error. The employer may not fire, suspend, delay training, withhold or lower pay, or take any other adverse action against an employee based on the employee s decision to contest TNC or while their case is still pending with the SSA or the DHS. In the example below, notice that the Initial Eligibility field displays a status of SSA TENTATIVE NONCONFIRMATION, SSN does not match. In this case, the TNC does not mean the employee is ineligible to work. The employee continues to work throughout the verification process if they contest the TNC. Step 1: The Case Details page may display the SSA Verification Information section, indicating that there may be a problem with the employee s Social Security Number. You should review the SSA Verification Information section carefully, make any needed changes, and then click Continue Verification. page 10
Tentative Non-Confirmation 5 Step 2: The Case Details page refreshes and the Initial Eligibility field displays the SSA TNC message with the reason for the TNC. Step 3: When you receive a TNC response, you should notify the employee as soon as possible by providing them with a copy of the SSA Tentative Non-confirmation Further Action Notice Letter. You can obtain a copy of this notice, along with any other letters related to the EEV case, by clicking View EEV Letters. page 11
Tentative Non-Confirmation 5 Step 4: From the View EEV Letters pop-up, click the English or Spanish buttons to access the English or Spanish version of the letter, respectively. The letter opens as a PDF file within a separate browser window, and you can save or print the file as necessary. Step 5: Once you provide the employee with the notice, you should request for the employee to indicate whether they want to contest the TNC and then instruct the employee to sign the English version of the notice. After the employee signs the English version of the notice, you, as the Employer s Representative, should also sign the notice. You should also retain the copy of the original notice, in addition to the copy you give to the employee. If the employee opts to contest the response, you must refer the employee to the SSA to resolve any discrepancies on their record. The employee has 8 Federal Government workdays from the date of referral to resolve the discrepancies by visiting their local SSA office. Click Initiate SSA Referral to refer the employee. page 12
Tentative Non-Confirmation 5 Step 6: Once you click Initiate SSA Referral, the Case Details page refreshes to display the Notification of Non-Confirmation Notice section, which includes instructions to indicate that you should discuss the TNC with the employee prior to submitting the referral and includes a question regarding whether the employee has been notified of the TNC notice. Click Notified to indicate that the employee has been notified. If you click Not Notified, you are redirected back to the initial Case Details page and the case referral transaction is canceled. The reason for this is that you must notify the employee before referring the case to the SSA. Step 7: Once you click Notified, the Case Details page refreshes to display the SSA Referral Response section. Under these circumstances, you should click View EEV Letters to access the SSA Referral Date Confirmation letter for the SSA referral. page 13
Tentative Non-Confirmation Step 8: 5 From the View EEV Letters pop-up, click the English or Spanish buttons to access the English or Spanish version of the referral letter, respectively. The letter opens as a PDF file within a separate browser window. Once the letter displays, you should print the letter, and then sign and date the letter as the Employer s Representative. Once this is complete, you should provide the employee with the printed and signed copy of the letter and instruct them to take the letter with them to the SSA. You should also retain a copy of the letter for your records. page 14
Tentative Non-Confirmation Step 9: 5 The employee has 8 Federal Government workdays from the date of the referral to resolve the discrepancies by visiting the local SSA office. The SSA has 10 Federal Government workdays to update the case result. The Expect Gov t Response field displays the date by which the SSA should provide an update for the case. You can check EEV/E-Verify system periodically for an update in the case result. You can also resubmit the SSA referral as necessary by clicking Initiate SSA Resubmittal. Step 10: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Enter SSA Resubmittal Modify SSA Information section. Review the Enter SSA Resubmittal Modify SSA Information section carefully, make any needed changes, and then click Submit SSA Resubmittal. page 15
Tentative Non-Confirmation 5 Step 11: After you click Select SSA Resubmittal, click Close Case. Step 12: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Enter Case Resolution section with the Is (Employee Name) currently employed with this company? field. Select the Yes or No radio button in response to this field. page 16
Tentative Non-Confirmation 5 Step 13: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Select the appropriate statement and click Close Case field. Select the appropriate closure statement option in response to this field and then click Close Case. The case will be closed with a Final Result of Employment Authorized, Final Nonconfirmation, or additional verification will be required. page 17
Duplicate Case 6 6 Duplicate Case A Duplicate Case status is returned by E-Verify when information for the current case matches another case submitted within the past 30 days. When a case receives this status, you must continue with creating the new case without making changes, update the case information and continue, or close the current case before you can proceed. Step 1: The Initial Eligibility field in the Initial Verification Results section of the Case Details page displays a status of Duplicate Case, and the Duplicate Case section displays a listing of all cases identified as possible duplicates of the existing case. Step 2: Do one of the following as necessary: Click Case Details to view details of the current case for correctness and update the information as necessary. The Case Details page refreshes to display the Duplicate Case Edit section. Continue to Step 3. Click Close Case to identify the current case as a duplicate or a case that was entered in error and then close the case. Continue to Step 4. Click Continue to identify the matching case as a duplicate and to indicate that you want to proceed with processing the current case. Continue to Step 5. page 18
Duplicate Case Step 3: 6 Review the information that displays in the Duplicate Case Edit section and then do one of the following: If the information for the employee is accurate, click Continue and then repeat Step 2 to either close the case or continue processing the case. If the information for the employee is not accurate, update the information as necessary and then click Continue. If the updated information does not match any other existing cases, the case can now successfully continue to be processed and you have completed this procedure. page 19
Duplicate Case 6 Step 4: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Select the appropriate statement and click Close Case field. Select the appropriate closure statement option in response to this field and then click Close Case. You have completed this procedure. Step 5: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Reason for Duplicate Case section. Select the appropriate reason option in response to the I am creating a duplicate case because field. If you click the Reason other than those listed above option, use the subsequent Other Reason text field to provide the reason. page 20
Duplicate Case Step 6: 6 Click Continue. You have completed this procedure. page 21
Photo Matching 7 7 Photo Matching Photo matching is an automatic part of creating a case in EEV/E-Verify that prompts you to compare an employee s photo ID with a photo that displays on your computer screen. The photo matching step occurs automatically when you create a case that uses the following documents for employment eligibility: U.S. Passport or Passport Card Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766) NOTE: E-Verify requires that you make a copy of the documents above and retain them with the Form I-9. When the employee presents one of these documents and the Form I-9 information matches DHS records, the employee s photo automatically displays. Matching photos is easy simply compare the photo as displayed on your screen to the photo on the employee s document and determine if the photos are reasonably identical. Reasonably identical photos should be identical, but you should take into account minor variances in shading and detail between the two photographs based upon the age and wear of the employee s document, the quality and resolution of your display screen, and the watermark on the photo in E-Verify to protect it from unlawful use. You should not compare the photo displayed to the actual employee. Instead you should compare the picture on the document to the picture on your screen. Step 1: When the case meets the circumstances of the photo matching process, the Initial Eligibility field on the Case Details page displays a Photo Matching Required status. The Case Details page also displays the Identity Verification section, which includes a photograph of the employee along with a Does the photograph below match the photograph on the document provided by the employee? field. Select the Yes or No radio button in response to this question. If you select the Yes radio button, continue to the next step. If you click the No radio button, continue to Step 6. page 22
Photo Matching Step 2: 7 Click Next. When you receive a response of Employment Authorized, click Close Case. page 23
Photo Matching 7 Step 3: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Enter Case Resolution section with the Is (Employee Name) currently employed with this company? field. Select the Yes or No radio button in response to this field. Step 4: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Select the appropriate statement and click Close Case field. Select the appropriate closure statement option in response to this field and then click Close Case. You must close each case, as this does not happen automatically. page 24
Photo Matching 7 Step 5: The Case Details page refreshes to display the Case Resolution option, which includes the closure statement you selected in the previous step and the date by which you resolved the case in the Resolved Date field. At this point you have closed the case in the E-Verify system and completed the corresponding work order in the the GIS equest+ system. Step 6: After you select the No radio button, click Next. The Case Details page refreshes to display the Photo Matching Results section. The Photo Matching Results section displays the Determination field, which displays a message value of Photo Does Not Match. The Initial Eligibility field also displays a value of Tentative Non-confirmation or DHS Verification in Process. Under these circumstances, you should contact GIS for further information on how to proceed with the case. page 25
Reports 8 8 Reports Step 1: From the Navigation Menu of the GIS equest+ system, select View Reports. Step 2: The View Reports page displays. You can use the View Reports page to choose search and filter criteria to apply to the records you want to include in the EEV Order Summary report. page 26
Reports 8 The EEV Process Status drop-down filter field allows you to select the status of cases in various phases of the E-Verify process by which you want to filter records in the EEV Order Summary report. The EEV Close Status drop-down filter field allows you to select the status of closed cases by which you want to filter records in the EEV Order Summary report. page 27
Reports 8 The Eligibility Statement drop-down filter field allows you to select the status given by SSA/DHS by which you want to filter records in the EEV Order Summary report. You can also use the Last Name and First Name fields to type name information, or a portion of the name, of the specific employees for which you want to print the EEV Order Summary report, similar to the following: page 28
Reports 8 Step 3: Once you use the View Reports page to select search and filter criteria for the EEV Order Summary report, click Go. Step 4: The Order Summary page displays records for employee work orders that match your search and filter criteria. Click the Name column hyperlink of the corresponding employee for which you want to view the EEV Order Summary report. Step 5: The Background Report page displays. You can print the report directly from the Background Report page. You can also point to the EEV menu item and then select Status to print the case details from the E-Verify system for the employee. page 29
Reports Step 6: 8 The Employment Eligibility Verification (EEV) Case Details page displays. As mentioned during the Ordering chapter, the Case Details page serves as a historical record of the case you initiated via the work order. From the Case Details page, you can click Print Case Details to print details for the case from the E-Verify system as necessary. page 30
Glossary G G Glossary The following information is intended to assist users of GIS equest+ system when they are ordering Employment Eligibility Verification by providing a definition of terms. It is not meant to be used in place of the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administrations definitions, rules and regulations. Please use those respective Agencies documentation for all legal requirements. Term Definition Acceptable Documents for Verifying Identity and Employment Eligibility Designated documents for determining employment eligibility under the Immigration & Nationality Act (INA). List A includes (1) an Unexpired/Expired US Passport; (2) An Alien Registration Receipt Card with photograph or Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551); (3) An Unexpired Foreign Passport with a Temporary I-551 Stamp or attached I-94 indicating unexpired employment authorization; (4) an Unexpired Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issue by the Department of Homeland Security which contains a photograph (Form I-766, Form I-688A or Form I-688B; and (5) and Unexpired Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688) List B & C are unchanged from normal process. However, List B must contain a photograph Admissions number or I-94 An 11 digit number that is located on the Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) Affiliated Company A company associated with another company. Alien Status Verification Index (ASVI) A Department of Homeland Security database accessed by benefit issuing agencies, licensing agencies, other entities and employers to verify non-citizen immigration and employment eligibility status Alien (Non-citizen) Any person who is not a citizen or national of the U.S. Alien File (A-File) The history file containing data and documentation pertaining to an individual non-citizen. Alien Registration Number/Alien ID Number/Alien Number A unique 7, 8, or 9 digit number assigned to a non-citizen at the time his or her A-File is created. Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-151) This card has been known as the Green Card. As of March 20, 1996 it is no longer acceptable as evidence of lawful permanent resident status. If a non-citizen is in possession of the form it does not revoke his or her lawful permanent resident status. However, the document is expired and the applicant should be referred to the Department of Homeland Security for a replacement card. Anti-Discrimination Notice The Anti-discrimination notice is published by the Office of Special Counsel. It provides information to employees concerning discrimination in the workplace. The Memorandum of Understanding requires the form be displayed in both English and Spanish in a prominent place visible to prospective employees. Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) A document issued to non-citizens when admitted to the US. Some forms have stamps indicating authorized work statuses. There is an 11 digit admission number which is used in the ordering of the EEV service through equest+ if the non-citizen does not have an Alien Registration Number. Asylee A non-citizen already in the US or at a port of entry who has been granted asylum. Asylum Asylum may be given to a person who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of nationality because of a fear of persecution. page 31
Glossary G Term Definition Basic Pilot The Basic Pilot program is a voluntary program in which employment eligibility of all newly hired employees will be confirmed after the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) has been completed. Basic Pilot Participation Notice This notice informs perspective employers that they are participating in the Basic Pilot program. Case in Continuance DHS needs more than 10 Federal Government workdays to resolve a case. The employee continues to work until a definitive answer is received from the DHS. Case Verification Number The unique number returned by the program. Employers are required to record the case verification number on the employee s I-9 form or print the screen containing the case verification number and attach it to the employee s I-9. Customer Processing System The DHS database accessed by equest+. Department of Homeland Security Federal Government Agency that manages employment eligibility. The SSA and the Dept of Homeland Security are co-managing the E-Verify program. DHS Abbreviation for the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Verification in Process This response is given if the employee s information matches the SSA records but the SSA does not have employment eligibility information for the non-citizen employee. The system automatically forwards the case to the DHS for verification of employment eligibility. The DHS responds to most cases within 24 hours but has up to 3 Federal Government workdays to respond. An employer should check the system periodically for a response. Document Type Type of document presented to new hire to verify identity and employment eligibility. E-Verify Formerly known as the Basic Pilot Program, is an internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security Numbers. Employee Not Terminated A closure option when the employment is not terminated after the employer receives an SSA Final Non-confirmation; DHS Employment Unauthorized; DHS no show or if the employee is not terminated after he or she does not contest an SSA or DHS Tentative Non-confirmation response. Employer Identification Number Federal Tax id number for a company. Employment Authorized A response received from the SSA or the DHS advising the information provided by the employer matched the information present in the DHS and SSA databases and work eligibility has been confirmed. Employment Authorization Card I-688A A card issued by INS to non-citizens who qualified under the amnesty program of Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Employment Authorization Card I-688B A card issued by the DHS to non-citizens granting temporary employment authorization in the US. Employment Authorization Document (EAD) I-766 A document issued to non-citizens of the US who are authorized to work temporarily in the US. page 32
Glossary G Term Definition Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) Every time an employee is hired by an employer, the employee and employer must complete an I-9. Final Non-confirmation If an employees work eligibility cannot be confirmed an employer will receive Final Nonconfirmation from the SSA or the DHS. An employer receiving a Final Non-confirmation response may terminate the employment of an employee and shall not be civilly or criminally liable under any law as long as the action was taken in good faith reliance of the information provided from the basic pilot program. Green Card Slang term referring to Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551). Many versions of the I-551 are not green in color. Handbook for Employers (M 274) Step by step explanation of what an employer must do to meet its responsibilities under the Employer Sanctions provision of INA. It further explains rights of employees in the hiring and verification process. Hiring Sites Locations where a company will be hiring employees. Illegal Alien A foreign national who entered the US illegally or entered legally but violated status or remained in the US without authorization. Basic Pilot Participation Notice This notice informs perspective employers that they are participating in the Basic Pilot program. Case in Continuance DHS needs more than 10 Federal Government workdays to resolve a case. The employee continues to work until a definitive answer is received from the DHS. Case Verification Number The unique number returned by the program. Employers are required to record the case verification number on the employee s I-9 form or print the screen containing the case verification number and attach it to the employee s I-9. Customer Processing System The DHS database accessed by equest+. Department of Homeland Security Federal Government Agency that manages employment eligibility. The SSA and the Dept of Homeland Security are co-managing the E-Verify program. DHS Abbreviation for the Department of Homeland Security. DHS Verification in Process This response is given if the employee s information matches the SSA records but the SSA does not have employment eligibility information for the non-citizen employee. The system automatically forwards the case to the DHS for verification of employment eligibility. The DHS responds to most cases within 24 hours but has up to 3 Federal Government workdays to respond. An employer should check the system periodically for a response. Document Type Type of document presented to new hire to verify identity and employment eligibility. E-Verify Formerly known as the Basic Pilot Program, is an internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security Numbers. Employee Not Terminated A closure option when the employment is not terminated after the employer receives an SSA Final Non-confirmation; DHS Employment Unauthorized; DHS no show or if the employee is not terminated after he or she does not contest an SSA or DHS Tentative Non-confirmation response. page 33
Glossary G Term Definition Employer Identification Number Federal Tax id number for a company. Employment Authorized A response received from the SSA or the DHS advising the information provided by the employer matched the information present in the DHS and SSA databases and work eligibility has been confirmed. Employment Authorization Card I-688A A card issued by INS to non-citizens who qualified under the amnesty program of Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Employment Authorization Card I-688B A card issued by the DHS to non-citizens granting temporary employment authorization in the US. Employment Authorization Document (EAD) I-766 A document issued to non-citizens of the US who are authorized to work temporarily in the US. Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) Every time an employee is hired by an employer, the employee and employer must complete an I-9. Final Non-confirmation If an employees work eligibility cannot be confirmed an employer will receive Final Nonconfirmation from the SSA or the DHS. An employer receiving a Final Non-confirmation response may terminate the employment of an employee and shall not be civilly or criminally liable under any law as long as the action was taken in good faith reliance of the information provided from the basic pilot program. Green Card Slang term referring to Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551). Many versions of the I-551 are not green in color. Handbook for Employers (M 274) Step by step explanation of what an employer must do to meet its responsibilities under the Employer Sanctions provision of INA. It further explains rights of employees in the hiring and verification process. Hiring Sites Locations where a company will be hiring employees. Illegal Alien A foreign national who entered the US illegally or entered legally but violated status or remained in the US without authorization. Immigrant A non-citizen who has been granted privilege of working and residing in the US. Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (INA) Act along with immigration laws relates to immigration, temporary admission, naturalization and removal of non-citizens. Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (ICRA) Public Law 99-603 passed in order to control and deter illegal immigration to the US Immigration Status The status given to a non-citizen of the US by immigration law. Immigration Status Verifier (ISV) A DHS employee who verifies immigration and employment eligibility status. Immigrant Visa A US document from the Dept. of State consulate or embassy abroad which authorizes a noncitizen to apply for admission as an immigrant to the US. This does not grant authorization to work in the US. Initial Query The first step in the process of verification page 34
Glossary G Term Definition Initial Verification A query from the equest+ system to the SSA/DHS database. Results will either verify employment eligibility or require additional information. Invalid Query Resolution option for duplicate query. Lawful Permanent Resident A non-citizen who has been lawfully granted privilege of residing and permanently working in the US. Memorandum of Understanding Document that sets forth the responsibilities for using Basic Pilot Program for the client company, designated agent, the Dept of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration NAICS Code An industry classification system. Six digit code that notes sector, sub-sector, industry group, NAICS group, US Industry. Non-Immigrant A non-citizen who enters the US temporarily for a specific period of time and purpose. No Show A response received when the employee fails to contact DHS or SSA to resolve his or her case and 10 Federal Government workdays have passed since the date of referral. A no show is considered a Final Non-confirmation. Notice to Employee of Tentative NonConfirmation Notice given to an employee after a Tentative Non-confirmation response has been received from SSA or DHS. If contested, the appropriate government agency must be contacted by employee to resolve the discrepancy to continue employment. An employee has 8 federal government workdays to resolve the issue. Parent Company A company that owns or controls other companies. Parolee A non-citizen applying for US entry may be paroled into the US under emergency conditions or when non-citizens entry is determined to be in public interest. Passport Any travel document issued by competent authority showing the bearers origin, identity and nationality if any which is valid for the entry of the bearer to a foreign country. Permanent Resident or Legal Permanent Resident A non-citizen who has been granted the privilege of residing and working permanently in the US lawfully. Permanent Resident Card (Form I-155) Dec 1997 Issued by the former INS. After December 1997, this card is the current version given to Permanent Resident Aliens. The document is valid for 10 years. In this version of the I-551, the card title was changed from Resident Alien to Permanent Resident Card. Point of Contact The Employers contact person for matters relating to Employment Eligibility Verification. Primary Verification (Initial Query) The first step in the process of verification Referral Notice An employee contesting a Tentative Non-confirmation response from the SSA or DHS is given an agency notice that is printed from equest+. This notice instructs the employee to contact the Government within 8 Federal Government workdays from the date of the referral to resolve any discrepancy. Refugee Any person who is outside their country of nationality who is unwilling or unable to return to the country because of persecution. page 35
Glossary G Term Definition Request Additional Information If the information returned from the DHS database is different from the information provided by the employee on the form I-9, this allows the employer an option for providing additional information on the employee s case to the DHS. Resident Alien Card (Form I-551) Aug 1989 This card contains an expiration date. It was issued to both conditional and lawful permanent residents. It is valid for a limited time. 2 years from the date of admission/adjustment for conditional residents and 10 years from issuance for lawful permanent residents. The card must be renewed at expiration. It does not indicate that the non-citizens status has expired. The expiration date is stated on the front of the card. Resident Alien Card (Form I-551) Jan 1977 This card is no longer issued but remains valid. It contains a photograph and the bearer s signature. The card was issued to lawful permanent residents. Resolve Case This allows the user to select the appropriate option and resolve the case. Resolved Authorized A resolution option where there is employment authorization. Resolved Unauthorized/Terminated A resolution option if the SSA or DHS final non-confirmation or no show response is received or if the employee does not contest the tentative non-confirmation response and is terminated. Self Terminated A resolution option if the employee quits or has been terminated for reasons unrelated to the employment eligibility status while verification is in process. SSA Re-submittal After an employee has been referred to the SSA and visits a local SSA office and 24 hours have passed since the employee has returned with a referral letter to the employer, the user must resubmit through the original equest+ case and receive the final response. If the employee does not visit the SSA or does not return the stamped and signed referral letter to the employer, the employer should re-submit the case after 10 Federal Government workdays from the date of referral. Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program The SAVE program branch maintains the Dept. of Homeland Security s verification program. The Save program manages the employment verification pilot program that GIS links up to for verification of new employees. Social Security Administration Federal Government Agency that manages social insurance. The SSA and the Dept of Homeland Security are co-managing the Basic Pilot Program SSA Abbreviation for the Social Security Administration. Tentative NonConfirmation Employee Information has been compared to Government records and could not be confirmed. This does not signify that the employee is not authorized to work or that the information provided by the employee was incorrect. The employee must contact either the Social Security Administration or the Dept. of Homeland Security to resolve the issue in order to continue employment. US Passport Document issued by the Dept. of State to US Citizens and Nationals. page 36