E-Verify may issue a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) Tentative NonConfirmation (TNC) result if the name or date of birth entered by the new hire on the I-9 form does not match government records.
The most common mismatch for US citizens occurs when a now-married female has not updated her name with the SSA. If you receive a TNC for a female citizen, this may be the cause. Do not resubmit using the employee’s maiden name! The new hire can resolve the problem quickly when she contacts the SSA according to the instructions in the TNC Final Action Notice.
It is important that the employee write his name clearly on the form so that we can read it and enter it correctly in E-Verify. It is also very important that the name and date of birth in Section 1 matches the documentation presented by the new hire.
Tips for Your New Hire:
- Print your full legal name in Section 1 of Form I-9.
- If you have two last names (family names), include both. If you hyphenate your last name, include the dash (-) between the names.
- If you have two first names (given names), include both.
- Do not use nicknames. For example, if your full legal name is Thomas Smith but you use the nickname Tommy Smith, enter Thomas Smith not Tommy Smith.
- Make sure your name is written the same way on all of your documents. Your employer may question documents that have different spellings or parts of your name missing.
- If your full legal name includes apostrophes (‘) or dashes (-) make sure you include these when completing Section 1 of Form I-9. For example, if your full legal name is Bri’ Anna Jean-Baptiste, make sure that you use all of the punctuation.
- Include your maiden name, if applicable.
- Make sure you write your date of birth in the month/day/year format. For example, May 1, 1968 must be written as 5/1/1968.
Additional Tips to Avoid a Mismatch:
- Make sure your documents and records are up-to-date before it is time to complete your Form I-9.
- If you have changed your name, make sure that you inform the Social Security Administration (SSA).
- If there is a spelling error on your document, contact the agency that issued the document to correct the error.
- If the date of birth on your document is not correct, contact the agency that issued the document to correct the error.
