Announcements
Ohio State's Participation in the E-Verify Program
On April 7, 2010, The Ohio State University enrolled in the E-Verify program to comply with the federal contractor regulation. We must participate in this because non-compliance could result in suspending or debarring of federal contracts.
As an employer participating in E-Verify, Ohio State is required to post the notice provided by DHS indicating our participation in the E-Verify program as well as the anti-discrimination notice issued by the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices at the Department of Justice.
The posting will be distributed through the Office of Human Resources' web site to post in a prominent place that is clearly visible to prospective employees and all employees who are to be verified through the system.
We will also be informing potential new hires about our participation in E-Verify by posting an announcement on the OHR web site and in offer letters.
Implementation Timeline and Preparation
By July 5, 2010, we must start using the program for all new hires, verifying their work eligibility within three business days of the date of hire. We must also verify all existing employees no later than Oct. 3, 2010.
The reasons we have elected to verify the active employee population instead of just employees assigned to a contract with the E-Verify clause are the following:
• Verifying all employees in the same way helps to avoid possible discrimination
• To ensure Ohio State has a legal workforce and a valid I-9 on employees who are not exempt from the process
• To reduce the administrative burden of tracking employees assigned to a contract with an E-Verify clause and who may have already been verified while employed at Ohio State
All Forms I-9 will be reviewed for existing employees and may require follow-up in the event that the original I-9 does not meet with E-Verify regulations. Current employees hired before Nov. 7, 1986 are exempt from this process.
If asked to fill out new Form I-9 or update existing Form I-9
As an E-Verify employer, OSU has additional requirements for the Form I-9 that other employers may not have.
• Any expired documents that were presented at the time that the original I-9 was filled out will require the employee to fill out a new I-9.
• In addition, employees must write their Social Security numbers in Section 1 of the Form I-9.
To prepare for completing a new Form I-9:
• Ensure your employment authorization and documentation verifying your identity is current.
• Notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) of name changes (i.e. using a married name vs. maiden name) or changes in citizenship status in advance of Section 1 completion.
• When completing Section 1 of the Form I-9, pay careful attention for typographical errors and providing the correct immigration status.
• When completing Section 2 of the Form I-9, you must provide original documentation; copies are not acceptable.
For a list of acceptable documents, see http://hr.osu.edu/forms/emp/i-9.pdf. Please note, in order to comply with E-Verify, any List B document that is presented must have a photograph.
Any necessary follow-up pertaining to E-Verify will be handled by the Office of Human Resources. An E-Verify section will soon be placed on the Office of Human Resources web site with a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Special note regarding international students on Optional Practical Training at Ohio State
The Ohio State University's E-Verify ID Number is 317601. Please refer to the Office of International Affairs web site.