Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) Compliance

The purpose of this memo is to increase awareness of an essential federal compliance issue and to ask your assistance in ensuring that Ohio University is 100% compliant. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. One of our responsibilities as an employer is to correctly complete and retain a Form I-9, verifying identity and eligibility to work in the United States, for every employee. This can be a challenge because we employ a large number of people in a variety of ways.

Although newly hired benefits-eligible employees generally complete the Form I-9 during the full day orientation from University Human Resources (if they attend orientation on their first day or sooner), we must rely on department representatives for compliance with most non-benefits-eligible employees including new student employees. To be fully compliant,

1. the employee section (Section 1.) of the form must be completed on or before the first day of employment, and
2. the employer section (Section 2.) must be completed correctly, including verification of work authorization documents, within three business days.

If items 1 and 2 above are not satisfied within the timelines specified, employees should not be allowed to work until the items are satisfied.

In 2016 as the University transitioned to the new online process, planning units were contacted and asked to identify individuals who needed access to the Equifax online I-9 completion system. Centers of Excellence were created from input provided to UHR from the planning units. At these Centers of Excellence new employees can complete their I-9 with assistance from one of your Hiring Managers.  The following resources are available to guide your area through the proper I-9 form completion:

• The U.S. Government’s I-9 Handbook for Employers can be found at: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/handbook-employers-m-274.
• Review the designated Centers of Excellence* for information regarding completing student paperwork.

*Note this webpage is primarily for student hiring, benefit eligible employees complete their I-9 with UHR.

• If you have questions regarding remote I-9 completion please contact the Employee Service Desk at 740-593-1636.

If you have additional questions, you may call University Human Resources at 740-593-1636. When in doubt, please call. Non-compliance can result in penalties of up to $1,100 per violation; unlawful employment penalties can be up to $16,000 per alien plus criminal penalties. Please distribute this memo to all relevant employees in your area.