E-Verify photo matching is a crucial step in verifying an employee’s identity and employment authorization. This process requires employers to compare the photo on specific documents presented by the employee with a photo displayed by E-Verify. This comparison ensures that the document presented genuinely belongs to the employee and matches records held by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Among the List A documents that trigger photo matching, U.S. passports and passport cards are key. This guide will focus specifically on how to Compare Passports within the E-Verify system to ensure compliance and accuracy in your employment verification process.
When an employee presents a U.S. passport or passport card, along with Permanent Resident Cards (Form I-551) and Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) (Form I-766), E-Verify’s photo matching feature is activated. It’s mandatory for employers to copy the necessary pages of these documents – for U.S. passports, this includes the Passport ID page and the Passport Barcode page. These copies must be retained with the employee’s Form I-9. If the employee’s information aligns with DHS records, E-Verify will display a photo from the presented document for comparison.
The core of the process is to compare the photo displayed by E-Verify against the photo on the employee’s actual passport or a copy of it. The objective is to determine if the photos are reasonably identical. It’s important to understand that minor variations in shading and detail are acceptable due to factors like the age and condition of the passport document and the quality of the computer monitor. The photos should essentially be the same person, accounting for these minor discrepancies.
A watermark is intentionally added to the photo displayed within E-Verify for security reasons, to prevent unauthorized duplication. However, the photo on the employee’s physical passport should not have a watermark. The absence of a watermark on the employee’s passport photo does not indicate that the passport is not genuine. This watermark is solely a feature of the E-Verify display.
It is critical to emphasize that the photo comparison in E-Verify is document-to-photo, not photo-to-employee. Employers should have already verified the photo on the passport against the employee’s appearance during the Form I-9 completion process, before initiating the E-Verify case. The E-Verify photo matching step is a secondary check against DHS records, confirming the document’s validity, not the employee’s identity anew. The “Photo Matching – Process Overview” section below further details the steps.
PHOTO MATCHING – PROCESS OVERVIEW
After E-Verify processes the information and presents a photo (if applicable), you will encounter different case results that necessitate specific actions to proceed or conclude the verification. These actions are detailed in the case result sections within the E-Verify system. The general process for photo matching, especially when comparing passports, follows these steps:
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E-Verify Prompt: E-Verify will prompt you to compare a displayed photo with the photo on the employee’s passport or Form I-9 document. Ensure you have a copy of the employee’s passport readily available for this comparison and retain it with Form I-9.
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Photo Comparison: Carefully compare the E-Verify photo to the photo on the passport copy. Account for slight variations in shading and image detail. Focus on core features – facial structure, and general appearance.
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Response Selection: After comparing, select the appropriate response in E-Verify:
- “Yes, this photo matches”: Choose this option if the photos are reasonably identical. Clothing, hairstyle, direction the person is facing, and overall appearance should align with the E-Verify photo.
- “No, this photo does not match”: Select this if the photos are clearly not of the same person.
- “No photo displayed”: Choose this if E-Verify does not display a photo, or displays an image that is not a person’s photo (e.g., a document image).
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Continue to Case Results: Click “Continue to Case Results” to proceed based on your photo matching response.
If you select “No, this photo does not match” or “No photo displayed”, E-Verify will then prompt you to upload a photo of the employee’s passport document. After uploading, click “Continue”. It’s important to note that if you do not make a selection and simply click “Continue to Case Results”, the case status will be marked as “Photo Matching Required”.
For efficiency, E-Verify provides “Save & Exit” and “Close Case” options. However, be aware that selecting “Save & Exit” will not save any uploaded documents, which will need to be re-uploaded upon returning to the case. Similarly, “Close Case” should be used only when you intend to terminate the E-Verify case process for a specific reason.
Remember, when dealing with U.S. passports or passport cards, E-Verify specifically requests images of the Passport ID page and the Passport Barcode page. Ensure you are prepared to provide these if prompted. File uploads must be in .jpg, .pdf, or .png format and no larger than 4MB.
Key Reminders for Passport Photo Matching in E-Verify
- Employee Choice: Employees have the right to choose which acceptable documents they present for Form I-9. Employers must not dictate or request documents specifically to trigger photo matching.
- Mandatory Copying: Always make copies of U.S. passports, passport cards, Permanent Resident Cards (Form I-551), and Employment Authorization Documents (Form I-766) presented by employees. Retain these copies with Form I-9. For passports, copy the Passport ID page and Barcode page.
- Automatic Photo Display: The photo matching process is automatic for applicable documents. E-Verify will display the photo during the verification process when a passport or other triggering document is used.
- Document-to-Photo Comparison: The comparison is strictly between the employee’s passport photo document and the photo displayed by E-Verify, not between the E-Verify photo and the employee in person.
By following these guidelines, employers can effectively and accurately compare passports in E-Verify photo matching, ensuring a compliant and secure employment verification process.
