Effective September 1, 2015, all public universities in Texas will be required to use the E-Verify system for new hires and any rehires that meet federally defined criteria. E-Verify is a web-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. E-Verify does not replace the I-9 form.

FAQs

1. What is eVerify?

E-Verify is a web-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9 to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records. This system is intended to further reduce the possibility of employing persons who do not have authorization to work in the United States.

Please note that eVerify does not replace the I-9. All hires and rehires after one year will still need to do an I-9 in Human Resources.

2. How will eVerify  work?

After the employee has done an I-9, an HR representative will enter their data in eVerify. The employee does not need to be present for this step, but they will be asked to return to Human Resources if eVerify is unable to match their data.

3. What information is used in eVerify?

eVerify uses the same information that the employee shows when they do an I-9, with the addition of SSN and start date as required fields.  For green card holders, we will also need the SRC number on the back of their card.

4. What if my employee does not have an SSN?

Your employee may still begin working without an SSN, but they must have already applied for one. They will need to bring their Social Security Card to Human Resources as soon as they receive it. eVerify auditors will know when the SSN was issued, so it is critical that the employee update their SSN with HR immediately upon receipt.

5. Why are timely ePARS so important now?

Per federal law, we must eVerify no later than the 3rd day of employment, and we cannot do this without a hire date. This makes timely ePARs a necessity, since there will now be an electronic record of late eVerifies with USCIS.

6. What is a tentative non-confirmation?

If the data entered in eVerify does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the system flags the individual as a Tentative Non-Confirmation.

7. How do we correct a tentative non-confirmation?

The first thing HR will do is double-check the data entered, looking for typos, transpositions, etc.

8. If all data used in eVerify is correct to the best of our knowledge, the employee will have to come to Human Resources to review the case. If the employee has newer documents or finds that the data in PeopleSoft is erroneous, HR will try again to eVerify.

If the employee confirms that all data is correct to the best of their knowledge, they will have to go to the appropriate government offices (DHS, SSA) to find the source of the error.

9. What happens if we cannot get an eVerify confirmation?

If an employee refuses to take the necessary action to clear their DHS and/or SSA data, or if their actions do not result in a successful eVerify, UH will be required by federal law to terminate employment.

10. Who can I contact for more information?

Contact Ann Pino at apino@uh.edu.