We know it's easy to feel overwhelmed with questions about the I-9 process, and how Fountain handles it. No need to stress - see below for commonly asked questions about all things I-9.
If your question is not answered here, don't hesitate to reach out!
General Process
How are exceptions handled?
Any exception that can be encountered in the I-9 process is something that the I-9 Center can handle (ex., restarting the I-9, and the Supplement B flow).
That being said, Fountain does try to eliminate errors before they even occur, by flagging data that doesn't match in different places. Since inaccurate information can be flagged by Homeland Security during an I-9 inspection, and can result in fines [1], it’s important to validate all information before it’s submitted.
How would I restart the I-9 process, or update a completed form?
Both of these options are available from directly within the I-9 Center.
To do so, go to the I-9 center and click on the Manage button for the worker. From there:
Click Restart I-9 to restart the I-9 process from the beginning
Click Take Action on I-9 > from there, you have the option to either Redo the I-9 Employer Section (Section 2), or click the dropdown arrow and Upload a Replacement version of the Section 1 form
Can I re-verify applicants that were hired through Fountain? If so, how does that functionality work?
Yes, we allow for this directly from within the WX platform.
When viewing the profile for the worker in the I-9 section, click Take Action on I-9 > select the Complete Supplement B option under the dropdown arrow to re-verify the applicant.
What does the completion breakdown look like? How are the statuses reflected?
The I-9 Center will show a list of workers in each of the following statuses:
Pending Section 1 (worker has been assigned an I-9 form to complete, but has not submitted it yet)
Pending Section 2 (after Section 1 has been submitted)
E-Verify (pending results from E-Verify)
Action (requires follow-up action)
Completed (has been sent to and processed by E-Verify, and closed as authorized)
Rejected (has been reviewed by E-Verify and rejected - requires follow-up)
After section 1 has been submitted, you will then be able to see the worker’s document expiration date within the center as well.
Am I able to use the alternative procedure for Section 2?
Yes, we support this alternative procedure for Section 2.
Can I bulk download completed I-9 PDFs?
Currently, completed I-9 PDFs can only be downloaded one by one.
How do I handle an in-progress I-9 if the worker has been terminated?
If a worker has been terminated, but their I-9 is still in progress and/or has been sent to E-Verify, then you will need to manually close the case and give a reason for closing it.
Section 2 / Authorized Representative
What options do I have for completing section 2?
We have four options available for completing section 2:
Standard I-9: Using our standard scheduler functionality, the employee schedules an on-site document review with you, the employer.
Remote I-9: Also utilizing our scheduler functionality, the employee schedules a live video call with you, the employer, to validate their documents.
Smart I-9: Document review is completed in-person by an authorized representative of the employee's choosing. ◦ Geolocation features are utilized to ensure that the employee and the authorized representative are in the same physical location.
I-9 End-to-End: The employee schedules a live video session with a Fountain-trained professional, who will review and validate their documents.
Can my employees choose their own authorized representative? Or do I have to designate one?
Employees can choose their own authorized representative. It can be anyone other than themselves, such as a spouse, friend, or neighbor.
Can an employee put themselves as their own authorized representative?
No, they cannot. Since acting as your own authorized representative is prohibited by the U.S. government [2], the I-9 Center will stop an applicant if they enter their own phone number, and instruct them to submit someone else's.
How do employees send Section 2 to their authorized representative for review?
Employees will enter their authorized representative's phone number to have a link sent directly to the representative's phone.
This link will open a webpage with an overview of the Section 2 process and what is expected of them as an authorized representative. After reviewing that, the authorized representative will follow a step-by-step guide on completing the review.
Can an employee change who they assign to be their authorized representative after selecting one?
Yes, they can! If they would like to change their authorized rep, they can enter that new representative's phone number in the flow.
Does the I-9 Center record any information about the authorized representative information?
Yes, it does. The I-9 Center shows the authorized representative’s first & last name, phone number, and IP address. This will appear in the audit trail after Section 2 is completed.
E-Verify
Do I use Fountain’s E-Verify account, or do I need to have my own?
In order to utilize the E-Verify integration, you will need to have and use your own company E-Verify account.
How are E-Verify cases submitted and closed?
Once Section 2 is complete, the entire I-9 form (Section 1 + 2) will be automatically sent from Fountain to the E-Verify system. As soon as a case is processed, the resulting status will be reflected back in the Fountain I-9 Center.
This is done through the WorkBright system.
How do I know if the applicant comes back as clear from E-Verify?
The I-9 center will show the worker's status as Completed:
Can E-Verify cases be acted on and closed from the Fountain I-9 center?
Yes, all E-Verify actions can be completed from within the I-9 Center.
What if I find an issue with a case that has been submitted to E-Verify?
If the case has already been submitted to E-Verify, then you will need to close the existing case first, and resubmit a new I-9 form with the corrected information.
If you don't close the existing case first, then the second case will not be sent to E-Verify, since it will be seen as a duplicate case.
Integration with Fountain Hire
Is the I-9 Center in the same environment as Fountain Core (Hire)?
No, the Fountain I-9 Center is in a separate environment from Fountain Core.
Do these new products leverage the same security roles that exist in Fountain Core, or will new roles need to be introduced?
Roles & permissions will work differently than in Fountain Hire, but will be overall similar (certain roles will have access to certain resources in the platform, and not others).
Is anything pre-filled from what was previously captured in Hire?
Yes, attributes from the worker's Hire profile are used to pre-fill the I-9 form.
Integrations with Other Systems
How can I embed I-9 data into an external system, such as Workday?
The data can be collected through an API to increment the Worker CRM (which will pre-populate the I-9 form in turn).
If I wanted to redirect applicants from Workday, how would an applicant authenticate into the Worker Onboarding UI to complete I-9 and W-4?
Applicants would receive a secure link (no password required) via email or SMS for authentication.
Sources
[1] I-9 Inspections: detailed article about the I-9 form inspection process that can be carried out, including possible violations
[2] Who Must Complete Form I-9: USCIS article outlining each role in the I-9 form process
Related Articles
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