E-Verify vs Patriot I-9

E-Verify is a free web service that lets enrolled employers electronically check newly hired employees’ eligibility to work in the United States. It compares information from Form I-9 with records available to DHS and/or SSA. Employers can enroll through Employer, E-Verify Employer Agent, Corporate Administrator, or Web Services access; the Web Services route requires the employer or agent to develop software to create and manage cases. Photo matching asks users to compare an image on certain Form I-9 documents with one shown in E-Verify. The system also flags cases needing closure, new case updates, and work authorization documents nearing expiration. E-Verify+ lets participating employers and new hires work together electronically on Form I-9 and the verification process. Access uses Login.gov, including multifactor authentication, and employers are directed to protect employees’ personally identifiable information. Company enrollment must be completed in one session because progress cannot be saved. Enrolled employers can register any number of users to create cases. A tentative nonconfirmation is not necessarily a finding that an employee is unauthorized; employers must notify the employee and follow the referral process. The service was founded in 1996.

Patriot I-9 provides employers with web-based electronic Form I-9 and E-Verify software. Its guided online process checks I-9 entries for errors, and users can submit an employee's E-Verify case from the electronic form. The service tracks expiring work authorization and other deadlines, sending alerts by email. Employers can search stored I-9s, print them as PDFs, and create reports by jobsite, department, and geographic location. Internet access allows records to be managed across company locations. A federal contractor service can submit existing I-9s to E-Verify for the customer and provide real-time reports across locations. Administrator permission levels control access, while an audit log tracks actions relating to an I-9. The company describes Patriot I-9 as an official DHS designated agent and says DHS quality-checks its online I-9 annually. Training, setup, and support are included. The cloud-based service requires no installation or downloads. Seat licenses and E-Verify have no charge; stored forms cost $1.25 per month, and each new I-9 created and confirmed as compliant costs $3.00 USD.