I-9 Process

It is recommended that once an I-9 is started to not leave between Section 1 and 2. 

• If you know beforehand that Section 1 and 2 will not be completed at the same time then section 1 must be completed using the Self Service I-9 Section 1 form.
• If you are using the I-9 w/Employee and you leave the I-9 Form and need to complete Section 2, reach out to your HR Service Team..

If you know you will not be completing the I-9 on the same computer or will be completing it at a later time, have the employee complete Section 1 using the tile or link Self-Service I-9 Section 1.

If you have already started the I-9 using the I-9 w/Employee or Enter Paper form you will not be able to complete the I-9 later and will need to submit it before exiting the form.

Make sure that the employee has logged in to CIS before starting the I-9 and has setup a new password.

If your employee is a Rehire and is not able to sign Section 1 the issue can be resolved in two ways:

1. Use the I-9 w/Employee or Enter Paper form as it will allow newly rehired employees to sign section 1 without any intervention.
2. If you want to use the Self Service I-9 Section 1 form, then ensure the employee has cleared their cache and cookies for all time, closed all open browsers/tabs.  When done have the employee log into CIS and reset their password before starting the I-9. 

I-9 forms prior to 2022 have been loaded into the I-9 system, but it is recommended to complete a new I-9 in this situation.

No, the I-9 should be completed in one format or the other.

What are the I-9 compliance rules?

• Section 1 must be completed on or before the employee's date of employement.
• Section 2 must be completed within 3 business days of the date of employment begins.
• Section 3 may be used for a rehire when the rehire occurs within 3 years from the date the original Form I-9 was completed. In other words a rehire is allowed when it is within 3 years and 3 days from the date of employment listed in section 2. You always have the option to complete a new I-9 for a rehire.

When someone receives the error "The length of this field (Document #) has to be between 11 and 11 characters, Length = " the system has identified that the document number does not match the Department Homeland Security (DHS) requirements. The error message will indicate if the document number is too short or too long.

Please validate the document number that was entered in the system matches the document number listed on the actual document and update the document number accordingly. 

What do I do if this error appears, The length of this field (First Name) has to be between 1 and 25?

When an employee receives the error "The length of this field (First Name) has to be between 1 and 25 characters. Length = " the system has identified that the First name field does not match the Department Homeland Security (DHS) requirements. This error message may appear for the Last Name field as well. 

Please validate the name that was entered in the system matches the name on their document and update the name accordingly. If the name is longer than 25 characters enter additional names in the Other Names field.

When the document I need is not listed in the Section 3 document menu use the option Employment Auth. Document (DHS).

No, you do not need to take action on the I-9 if the employee has been naturalized as a U.S. citizen. Send the documents that prove citizenship to your HR Service Team.

When submitting Section 3 for an F-1 or J-1 visa then all of the following documents are needed:

• Unexpired Foreign Passport
• I-94 indicating F-1 or J-1 status
• I-20 or DS-2019

All three documents are required for Section 3 to be in compliance.

The answer depends on if the I-9 will remain in compliance. 

• If the I-9 will remain in compliance then yes the I-9 can be deleted and restarted. Please contact your HR Service Team for assistance.
• If the I-9 will not remain in compliance then proceed to section 2 to submit the I-9. Ensure you contact your HR Service Team to inform them of the situation so HR can correct the I-9 once it has been submitted and routed to them.