E-Verify photo matching will prompt the E-Verify user to compare the employee’s photo document with a photo displayed during creation of the E Verify case. This helps ensure that the document the employee provided matches records available to DHS.
The four List A documents that will trigger photo matching are the U.S. passport, passport card, Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) and Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766). When the employee presents one of these documents, employers must copy the front and back of the document (or in the case of a U.S. passport, copy the Passport ID page and the Passport Barcode page) and retain the copies with Form I-9. If the employee’s Form I-9 information matches records available to DHS, E-Verify displays the employee’s photo from the document presented.
To match photos, compare the photo displayed by E-Verify to the photo on the employee’s actual document or a copy of the employee’s document and determine if the photos are reasonably identical. The photos should be identical with only minor variations in shading and detail between the two photos based upon the age and wear of the employee’s document and the quality of your computer monitor.
Note that a watermark has been added to the photo displayed in E-Verify to prevent unauthorized use. The photo on the document presented by the employee should not have a watermark. Absence of a watermark on the photo from the employee’s document does not mean that the document is not genuine.
Do not compare the photo displayed by E-Verify to the actual employee. Employers should have directly compared the photo on the document to the employee during Form I-9 completion and prior to creating the E-Verify case. Photo Matching - Process Overview provides a summary.
PHOTO MATCHING – PROCESS OVERVIEW
- E-Verify prompts you to compare a photo displayed in E-Verify with the employee’s Form I 9 photo document. You must obtain a copy of the employee’s document and retain it with Form I-9.
- Account for minor variations in shading and detail between the two photos.
- Select the option next to the appropriate response.
- Click Continue to Case Results.
REMINDER
- Employees always have a choice of which acceptable documents to present for Form I‑9; employers must not require workers to present documents that activate photo matching.
- Make a copy of all U.S. passports, passport cards, Permanent Resident Cards (Form I-551) and Employment Authorization Documents (Form I‑766) presented by employees and retain them with Form I-9.
- The photo will display automatically in E-Verify during the verification process.
- Only compare the employee’s Form I-9 photo document to the photo displayed in E-Verify.