Hiring is an essential part of any business, and it typically requires many steps. After completing an applicant’s background screening process, interviewing for the open position, and sending the official offer letter, your work isn’t over yet.
Every U.S. employer must properly complete a Form I-9 for each new hire working in the United States prior to finalizing the onboarding process. This form is an important part of adding a new employee to your team, and it isn’t always straightforward. Simple inconsistencies or even neglecting to enter “N/A” where required can have big consequences. Paperwork or technical violations can potentially cost your business anywhere between $234 to $2,332 per employee. That’s a lot of money for a small mistake!
At Verified First, we want to see your business grow, so we’re saying goodbye to the old-fashioned way of filling out and filing Form I-9’s. We’re excited to announce our newest integration with Tracker I-9.
We’ve partnered with Mitratech in order to make the I-9 process completely digital. By integrating with the Form I-9 and E-Verify Tracker I-9 platform, we are able to offer an expedited, fully encrypted, and compliant I-9 process! But before we talk about this integration…
What is the Form I-9?
The Federal Form I-9 is required of all new hires in the U.S. to fill out before they begin a new position. This includes non-citizens of the United States and is issued by the Department of Homeland Security. A Form I-9 verifies the identity of an employee and their authorization to work in the U.S.
Form I-9 is extremely time-sensitive. There is a narrow window for when it can be completed and submitted. The form is not valid if it is filled out prior to accepting a position. It must be completed from after an offer has been accepted up to the first day on the job and must be signed within three business days of the date of employment begins. If Form I-9 hasn’t been completed by the third workday, it’s considered to be past due, and you will need to report why there was a delay.
This tight window of time can cause a lot of stress and confusion. With both parties being responsible for parts of the form, there’s a higher chance of information being reported incorrectly. Common mistakes such as recording the incorrect date or forgetting to include the date of hire can render the form invalid. Tracker I-9 can help mitigate risk and avoid extra stress in the workplace.
What information is required in Form I-9?
The information required for Form I-9 is straightforward, but that doesn’t mean mistakes can’t be made. Form I-9 has three sections.
Section 1: Employee Information
This section is for the new hire’s personal information. It is to be filled out by the employee. It asks for a formal name, address, social security number, and other sensitive information that should only come from the employee themselves or a trusted preparer or translator. This information will be used to verify their authorization to work in the U.S.
Section 2: Employer Review
The second section of the form is to be filled out by the employer. The section is for checking to ensure that the information provided by the new employee validates their claim of being able to work in the U.S. The employer verifies the employee’s identity by reviewing and uploading approved documents such as:
- Passport
- Driver’s License
- Birth Certificate
- And more
Section 3: Rehired Employees
This section is for company rehires only. The rehired employee will need to provide the information that establishes their continuing employment in the business. This includes rehires and current employees whose employment authorization has expired. If the employee is new to the company (and not just in a new role), this section will be left blank.
How does Tracker I-9 work?
We’ve partnered with Mitratech to establish a new way of capturing the Form I-9/E-Verify information. Instead of filling out a paper form, Tracker I-9 allows both parties to complete their selection of Form I-9 online.
Once Section 1 and 2 of the I-9 have been completed, the E-Verify tool can assist the employer in verifying the identity and employment eligibility of their employees. This part of the process can be done in a matter of minutes from your desk. The E-Verify tool confirms employment eligibility by checking the information provided by your employee against the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) and the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) records
Why choose the Verified First integration for Form I-9?
Ordering Form I-9/ E-Verify with the Verified First integration simplifies and automates the I-9 process, making compliance easy for your new hires — even for non-tech-savvy individuals!
Full automation ensures 100% compliance every time. Users are restricted from selecting any option that does not apply and requires N/A answers where required. Any required field or button that is not completed will not allow the user to move to the next step in the process, so there is no confusion or opportunity to make costly mistakes. Plus, mobile functionality allows users to upload ID photos from a mobile device which goes right into the database in the Tracker I-9 system - no residual image remains on the phone.
Tracker I-9’s user-friendly dashboard gives users an easy way to manage the progress of all I-9 forms with a fully encrypted, cloud-based solution that ensures data protection, equipped with powerful, real-time reporting tools. Reporting options include visibility into outstanding sections that are due, E-Verify in pending status, reverifications due, missing start dates, an organization-wide summary, custom reporting, purge report (that gives you another way to stay compliant!), and more. Full audit support for clients is also included.
How can I learn more?
Request a demo to experience the effortless end-to-end digital Form I-9 and E-Verify compliance and management through Verified First’s integration with Tracker I-9.
Learn more about:
- The Verified First and Tracker I-9 integration
- How to improve I-9 efficiency and compliance
- Move from paper form to electronic I-9 management
We’re excited to show you how our partnership with Mitratech will ease your existing onboarding process. Our Tracker I-9 integration is compliant, fast, and user-friendly.
If you’re not quite ready to see Tracker I-9 and Verified First in action, register for our on-demand webinar, 5 Steps to Prepare for the Inevitable I-9 Audit.
About Verified First
Verified First is known for delivering streamlined background screening backed by the best client support, and for developing the easiest, fastest HR system integrations, for free. Our client support team is U.S.-based, answers calls in seconds, resulting in hundreds of positive testimonials and a 96% customer satisfaction. Verified First's patent-pending, award-winning integrations include over 100 applicant tracking systems, and provide clients a turn-key experience.