What do you do when an employee presents you with a temporary ID instead of an original copy of an Acceptable Document in Section 2 of the Form I-9. Section 2 of the Form I-9 requires that original documentation be used to validate the Employee’s employment authorization, however, on occasion a temporary ID may be given in the place of a required document. Below are the types of receipts accepted to replace a document and instructions on how to enter this information in Section 2 of the Form I-9.

There are three types of receipts that can be used:

The first type of receipt that can be used in place of an original document is a receipt acknowledging that the employee has applied to replace a document that was lost, stolen, or damaged.  This type of receipt can replace documents from List A, List B, and List C.

The second type of receipt is the arrival portion of the Form I-94 or Form I-94A  with a temporary I-551 stamp with a photograph of the individual. This receipt is for a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) or “green card” and acknowledges that the Employee is a lawful permanent resident. This type of receipt can be used as a document for the Employment Authorization in List A.

The third type of receipt is the departure portion of the Form I-94 or I-94A with a refugee admission stamp. This type of receipt acknowledges the Employee is a refugee or an “alien authorized to work in the US” which you can confirm from their status in Section 1. This type of receipt is used when an Employee hasn’t received an Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766) or the combination of a List B documents paired with a Social Security Card. This type of receipt can be used as a document for the Employment Authorization in List A.

Types of Receipts that are not acceptable to use as an Acceptable Document are receipts showing that a person has applied for an initial grant of employment authorization or for renewal of employment authorization. These do not apply in any case.

When the Employee presents you with an acceptable receipt, enter the document title as “Receipt” in Section 2 where it applies under the sections List A, List B, or List C.

Next enter the receipt’s document number in the “document #” space. Lastly you will enter the last day valid day of the receipt for the Employee in the “expiration date” space. In the case a receipt does not have an expiration date (such as the third type of receipt), enter “N/A”.

Remember, expired receipts can not be used as an acceptable document. If an Employee presents you with a receipt that isn’t listed above it does not apply and can not be used to replace a document from List A, List B, or List C.

This is an instructional guide for Notary Publics completing Section 2, “Employer or Authorized Representative Review and Verification”, of the Form I-9. As the mobile Notary Public, it your job to look over and verify the identification papers for a new employee’s Form I-9. Section 2 of the Form I-9 requires that original documentation be used to validate the Employee’s employment authorization. Proper documentation establishes both that the employee is authorized to work in the U.S. and that the employee is the person who the document was issued to. The following are the steps to ensure proper completion of Section 2 of the Form I-9:

1. On the first line under Section 2, fill out the Last Name, First Name, and Middle Initial of the Employee’s name. Refer back to Section 1 for this information.

2. Enter the information for the document title, issuing authority, document number, and the expiration date from the original documents supplied by the Employee. Only unexpired and original copies of documents may be used. Enter “N/A” into any unused fields. You should examine the document(s) and accept them if they reasonably appear to be genuine and if they reasonably appear to relate to the person standing before you.

•It is important to remember that you may not specify which documents an Employee presents to establish their identity and employment authorization. The list of acceptable documents is on the last page of the Form I-9. You may accept any List A document, which establishes both identity and work eligibility OR, you may accept the combination of one document from List B (establishing identity) AND one document from List C (establishing work eligibility). Note that if a document from List A is used, no documents from List B or C should be reviewed or entered and vice versa.

•You may use abbreviations for the document title or issuing authority if the abbreviation is widely known and/or widely understood. For example, you may use DL for driver’s license or DMV for Department of Motor Vehicles. If you question whether to use an abbreviation, write out the name in full. Remember, when in doubt, write out the full known name of a document title or issuing authority.

•Receipts can be used when a document was lost, stolen, or damaged. This receipt is proving the Employee applied to replace the document. Enter the word “receipt” as the document title.

•Some List A documents are considered “combination” documents and must be presented together to be considered an acceptable List A document. For example, a foreign passport and a Form I-94 must be presented together to be considered a List A document.

3. Under the Certification section, enter the Employee’s first date of employment. If the Employee does not know this date, leave the line blank. As the Notary Public, you will sign your name, enter the current date (month, day, year), fill in your title (Notary Public), and print your last and first name. Doing this confirms all the information is true and accurate and that you physically examined the documents entered in Section 2.

In summary, be as thorough as possible. Only unexpired documents can be used to verify the employee’s authorization and no photocopies should be accepted.  If you make mistakes, line through the mistake then write the correct information above or near the incorrect information and initial and date it.

Running your own Mobile Notary business can be a rewarding challenge.  But when trying to grow your business many notaries can feel as if they are on a hamster wheel.  Rather then just putting up a website, creating a profile on 123notary.com or signing up as a vendor with signing service after signing service try expanding your areas of expertise, to win your way to more profits.

First there is one sure way to prove that you’re an expert mobile Notary Public.  Join the National Notary Association, take there certified loan signing agent training and undergo their back ground screening.  Hands down this in one of the best things you can do for your business.  Notary only will they provide you with training for conduction loan closings, it demonstrates to those that you work with that you take your roll as a Notary Public seriously, have invested both money and time into expanding your knowledge, and is a great resource for when you have a question about a notarization.

Second, expand your knowledge don’t just do loan closings.  Lets face it the market is ever changing and so are the rolls that notaries are asked to play.  Did you know that Notaries can act as an authorized agent to companies for completing employee I-9 From verification.  While an I-9 verification is not a Notarial Act, Notaries with knowledge of how to properly complete the I-9 Form are in short supply.  And short supply plus high demand can lead to more profits.

Third, become a certified process server and add one more service that you can offer.  A process server business and a mobile notary business have some similarities.  One they both require traveling, reviewing and process paper work, and provides the freedom and flexibility of being a mobile notary.  Second licensing requirements are relatively easy to obtain, and finally adding this expertise to your business can again win you more profits.

Finally get to know other Mobile Notary providers in your area.  Talk to them, help them and be helped by them.  Become a mentor and allow yourself to be mentored.  Network with them, and throw them some work or a referral from time to time.  These types of partnerships are extremely valuable to all involved.  Being a mobile notary can sometime fell like your on an island all by your self, but reach out and connecting with other mobile notaries can be rewarding and make you feel connected and needed.

Rather then just signing up with signing service after signing service, and waiting for a call, spend some time expanding your knowledge, add an additional license or two, and enter into different markets.  Get to know other mobile notaries in your area and network with them, help them, throw them a referral now and then as well  Not only will your knowledge grow, your relation ships and friendships will grow, but so will your checking account balance.

Remember its no-longer enough just to do loan closings.  Those running a mobile notary business that can expand the scoop of the services they provide are likely to succeed.

For many companies remote hires are a part of normal business activity.  Hiring an employee who lives on the other side of the state or other side of the country presents compliance challenges with Form I-9 that need to be address.

DHS’s enforcement unit ICE is increasing the number of audits and fines each year, companies need a system in place to ensure Form I-9 compliance or risk large fines in the event of and Audit.

There are a range of strategies for Form I-9 compliance, from putting the responsibility on the employee, to electronic I-9 systems designed specifically for remote hires.

Choosing the compliance strategy for your business will depend on a few different factors.

First is the experience you want to provide to your employee.  You can simply e-mail your employee the Form I-9 and ask her/him to find a local Notary Public to complete section 2 of the I-9.  Or you may choose to engage the services of a traveling notary services that will meet with your employee and complete section 2, this takes the burden of finding a Notary off the employee and demonstrates a higher level of commitment and dedication on your company’s part as part of the overall on boarding experience.

Second is the accuracy in which the Form I-9 is completed.  Many times I-9’s are completed incorrectly or refused to be complete by a local Notary Public.  Employees have the expectation that all Notaries will be able to complete the From I-9 accurately, but many Notaries do not.  Either the Notary enters in the incorrect information in section 2 or puts a Notary stamp in section 2 or simply does not signed as the authorized representative of the company.

These types of error can be frustrating for the employee and the on boarding staff, resulting in rework and compliance issues.  Using an out side service provider that specializes in Form I-9 compliance is worth considering if there are a high number of Form I-9 that are completed incorrectly using your current strategy.

Third is the price that services providers charge.  Fees can range form $10 to $100 depending on the services that you need and the strategy you want to implement.  Electronic I-9’s can help reduce the number of errors and improve overall compliance and can range from $10 – $20 per I-9.  Notary services that provide I-9 service can rage form $40 – $100 and in some cases even higher.  A local Notary Public will charge about $10 to complete and I-9.

Finally is loss of reputation.  What would happen to your business, your brand should you fail an ICE audit.  For some companies a failed audit could mean a loss of customers and loss of reputation, while other companies would just face a fine and not much else.

If your brand exemplifies, trust and compliance in the market place taking a look at your current I-9 compliance system is a must, and any deficiencies should be improved as soon as possible.

Form I-9 compliance is not just for remote hires it’s for all hires.  Defining your I-9 strategy and evaluating your current system can go along way in ensuring Form I-9 compliance.

If your litigation support service has a daily on going need for the services of a Notary Public to assist with picking up records and notarizing affidavits then having some knowledge of how a Nationwide Mobile Notary service can help you company improve outcomes while reducing costs could be an answer to a question you have yet to ask.

A Nationwide provider of Mobile Notary Public services can help a company by:

1Improving turn around times for retrieving records and notarized documents.

1Controlling cost with a fix fee service throughout the nation.

1Reduce staff hours dedicated to scheduling and managing the mobile notary requests.

1Improve quality with a service provider that insures that all their notaries are licensed, insured, and background screened.

Improving turn around times

Mobile Notary services that provider services through out the United States can improve your turn around time.  Because these types of service providers have a large network of traveling Notaries, staff dedicated to scheduling the requests, and internal technology to streamline the process, orders can be processed faster then in-house staff.

Controlling cost

Another advantage when working with a nationwide mobile Notary service is there ability to control costs.  Most litigation support services have a large volume of service request and therefore can have the option of volume discounting from their service provider, as well as a fixed rate for services performed.

Reduce staff hours dedicated to scheduling and managing the mobile notary requests

Do you know how much time your team dedicates to the scheduling and managing of your notary requests?  Could that time be put to better use?  Mobile Notary scheduling services saves time by doing all the heavy lifting when it comes to your request.  They will schedule as well as mange the request, and ensure a successful outcome.  This frees up your team to focus on other areas of your business while providing a single point of contact for your service requests.

Improve Quality

Are you doing your due diligence on each Notary Public you use for record pick ups?  Have all your Notary contractors signed an independent contractor’s agreement with your company?  Using a nationwide mobile notary scheduling service can help you with your due diligence.  When selecting a company to work with be sure that they conduct a background check, verify licenses and have an independent contractors agreement in place for each Notary Public that they work with.  This way you and your clients are covered should something go wrong.

Good things come when partnering, but choosing the right nationwide service provider for your record retrievals is key.  Before selecting the mobile notary service be sure they;

1Offer service through out the United States

1Offer fixed rate pricing and volume discounts

1Have technology in place that helps speed up the process.

1Does their due diligence on each Notary Public they work with.

Maybe you have noticed that there is a new Form I-9 that employers are using.  If you have not yet employers will have until May 7^th 2013 to make the switch and as a Notary working as an authorized agent to our nations employers you need to be ready.

The first change you will notice about the Form I-9 is that the from it self is now 2 pages rather then one.  This was done to make the from easier to understand, for employers, employees as well as authorized agents.  The idea was to minimize the common mistakes that are made while completing Form I-9.

Is section 1 you can see that there have been a few new fields entered asking for both the phone number as well as the e-mail address for the employee.  This information is optional, and an employer can not require the information to be filled out.  It is completely within the employee’s discretion to provide this information.

Section 1 still needs to be signed a dated by the candidate and must be completed on or before their first day of employment.

It’s important to note that employers or their authorized agents still can not tell the employee what types of ID to use for completing the I-9 Form.  At best the employee must be referred to the list of acceptable documents and determine on their own what ID to use for the Form I-9.

Section 2 of the I-9 Form

Take a look at the top of page 2 just underneath the instructions.  There you will see that the employee’s first and last name as well as middle initial needs to be completed by the Notary Public (authorized agent) as it papers in section 1.  This is new, so take a little extra care when completing this part as it might take a little time getting used to it.

Section 2 will still need to be completed on or before the 3^rd business day of the employees first day of employment.  By looking at the I-9 Form you can see that there are still three list letters, A, B, & C.  As before that employee still needs to present to the Notary (authorized agent) or employee either a List a document or a List B & C document.

As you can see under list A, there are now additional fields for adding document information as required by the I-9 from.  This will be used in such times as when accepting a foreign passport with an I-551 stamp or Visa.  Giving the Notary more room to complete the required information for List A documents.

Another change you can easily see is the 7 pages of instructions to review for completing the Form I-9.  As a mobile Notary or Notary Public it’s probably a good idea to review the instructions once or twice to familiarize yourself with these new changes.

As a Notary Public working and an authorized agent for I-9 Form completion it’s important to get failure with the new changes.  And remember that starting on May 7^th 2013 all employers must be using the new I-9 From.

Online employee verification program lauded for ease of use, customer support

Released Feb. 21, 2013

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas today announced that users of E-Verify, the free Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States, have given the program high marks in a recent customer survey.

More than 1,300 randomly selected employers across the nation who use E-Verify evaluated key program aspects, including registration, the online tutorial, ease of use, technical assistance and customer service. They rated the program as exceptionally high in overall customer satisfaction, with an average score of 86 out of 100 on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) scale.

“We are proud of the advancements we have made in the E-Verify program,” said Director Mayorkas. “This customer survey validates the success of our efforts, which we have undertaken in collaboration with the business and labor communities and other key stakeholders.”

CFI Group, a consulting firm specializing in customer satisfaction measurements, conducted the survey. According to CFI Group’s latest figures, the average score for government agencies is 67.

Other key survey findings revealed that the overwhelming majority of users were:

•Likely to recommend E-Verify to other employers;

•Confident in E-Verify’s accuracy; and

•Likely to continue using the program.

With E-Verify, almost all employees are automatically confirmed as authorized to work. More than 99 percent of work-authorized employees are automatically confirmed as employment authorized.

President Obama’s recent commonsense immigration reform proposal includes stricter penalties for companies that hire undocumented workers. Employer enrollment in E-Verify has more than doubled since January 2009, with more than 432,000 participating companies representing more than 1.3 million hiring sites. Approximately 1,500 new employers enroll each week. More than 20 million queries were processed in E-Verify during FY 2012, allowing businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. Thus far during FY 2013, more than 8.4 million queries have been run through the system.

Recently the National Notary Association (NNA) released its official 2012 Census of Notaries in the United States.  The recent recession has helped to account for a 9.3% decline in the number of licensed notary publics over the last five years.  It is the first decline since the NNA began conducting the census in 1972.

The collapse of the mortgage market has hit the nation’s mobile notaries hard.  Once it was common for a traveling notary to earn $3,000 to $6,000 per month without putting much effort towards marketing themselves.  Now there are only a few that are still able to have their notary business as their primary source of income.

Providing traveling notary services to our nation’s businesses has been effected as well.  With limited notaries comes an increased cost and limited scheduling options.  Before the mortgage collapse, it was quite simple to book a notary for an appointment and businesses had many notaries to choose to work with.

Today finding traveling notaries for popular appointment times, such as weekday services or short notice appointments, can have disappointing results.  Those that are available have higher fees or little to no experience, making the management of scheduling and management of their mobile notary service providers a challenge.

For many, outsourcing the scheduling and management of their notary requests has become an attractive alternative to an in house operation.  Benefits include cost control, improved communications and utilization of in house staff.  Outsourcing does not come without risks and asking a few probing questions of the service provider you are considering can help you in choosing a service provider to work with.

How long has the company been in business?

It’s a simple enough question, but one that’s important.  There are hundreds of nationwide mobile notary service providers (aka signing services or scheduling services) out there and you can put them into 2 categories.  First are the services that started before the mortgage crash, then those that started after.  Those businesses that started before the crash and weathered the storm are more likely to have better systems and stronger relationships with their clients and notaries than those who started after.

What segment does the service provider focus on, if any?

For some companies, a focus on mortgage closings is key.  While some need I-9 certification for remote hires, others have out of state vehicle deliveries.  Very few of the mobile notary signing services have any type of industry focus.  Most will provide services for mortgage loans, wills, I-9 verification, Trust documents and even taking pictures of homes and cars.  Those that are focused on the industry will have an understanding of your particular needs and be better able to adapt to changes in the market place.

What geographic area does the notary service cover?

Not all notary signing services offer nationwide coverage.  Some are regional, others are local and others offer services in both the United States and Canada.

What are their internet and e-mail security protocols?

Whether you’re placing orders or sending documents, chances are that at some point you will be providing non public information to your service provider through e-mail or web portal.  You need to know what, if any, security measures are in place to protect your information.

Company web sites should only transmit non public information through SSL and use e-mail encryption.

Web sites that are hosted on dedicated servers, rather than a shared hosting environment, are also more secure and in some cases required.

Ask the companies that you are considering, who their SSL vendor is and if they run any penetration testing of their website and database.

Are their notary vendors background screened?

While most states require applicants to pass a background check prior to becoming a Notary Public, those companies that require additional screening will ensure that the notaries that they work with are licensed and free from any criminal history.

Asking a few questions of the mobile notary signing service providers that you are considering will provide you with a better understanding of how the company can meet your needs.  It will also provide you with more confidence in the decision you have made.

N3 Notary 2013.  For information purposes only.

From the ICE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Website

Houston-based company admits to hiring illegal aliens, Agrees to forfeit $2 million

HOUSTON – ABC Professional Tree Services Inc. (ABC) has agreed to adhere to revised immigration compliance procedures and to pay $2 million as forfeited funds to the Department of Homeland Security related to revenue derived from the employment of illegal aliens. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson,

Southern District of Texas, along with Robert Rutt, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

For its part, the United States has agreed not to criminally prosecute the company. ABC is a Houston-based company that provides right of way vegetation management for electric utilities in more than a dozen states. HSI agents in Birmingham, Ala., began investigating ABC in early 2008 following complaints that a significant portion of the company’s employees were undocumented aliens. In March 2008, agents conducted traffic stops on ABC crews and detained employees who were determined to be unlawfully present in the United States.

In June 2008, agents reviewed the Employment Eligibility Verification Forms (I-9s) and supporting documentation for about 2,500 employees at ABC. The inspection revealed a significant number of employees, when hired, had presented invalid personal identification information. Later, HSI agents determined that, as of the second quarter of 2009, about 30 percent of the company’s workforce consisted of undocumented aliens.

HSI agents executed a federal search warrant at ABC’s Houston headquarters on March 4, 2010, seizing documentary evidence including employment and personnel records. At that time, agents detained undocumented aliens who were on site at the headquarters. On that same day, agents in Birmingham detained more undocumented

ABC employees during a traffic stop.

The government’s investigation revealed ABC had, for years, ignored federal law by falsely attesting on I-9s that work authorization documents presented by new hires appeared genuine. In addition, for several years, ABC had received notices from the Social Security Administration known as “no-match letters,” and similar information from the company’s payroll processor, both of which indicated employee names and Social Security numbers did not match SSA records.

The company failed to take corrective measures, resulting in the continued employment of the undocumented aliens. ABC derived at least $2 million in revenue from the provision of services to electrical utilities with its illegal workforce from 2006 through 2011. This figure represents the amount of money that ABC will forfeit under its non-prosecution agreement with the government.

Since becoming aware of the government’s investigation, ABC has remediated its workforce and imposed significant immigration compliance measures. Since September 2008, ABC has used E-verify, a database administered by the federal government, to verify the employment eligibility of new hires. Beginning in the fall of 2008, the company also revised its immigration compliance procedures to include new policies concerning the proper completion, retention and auditing of I-9s and for responding to SSA No Match letters. As part of its commitment to complying with the law, ABC also terminated hundreds of undocumented workers.

Assistant United States Attorney David Searle, Southern District of Texas, handled the case.

N3 Notary For informational purposes only.

It is a legal requirement of any employer that a Form I-9 be completed to establish the identity and work authorization status of any employee hired after November 7th 1986.

An employee must complete the I-9 Form within 3 business days of the employees start date.

Within the I-9 Form are 3 sections.  Section 1 is the responsibility of the employee to fill out.  Section 2 and 3 are the responsibility of the employers to complete accurately.

Employers may appoint an Authorized agent to complete section 2 of the I-9 Form on their behalf.  Typically a Notary Public is used I-9 From verification for remote employees, as their reputation for being impartial and trustworthy has already been established.  Its important note that when using an authorized agent, it is still the legal responsibility of the employer to ensure that section 2 of the I-9 is completed correctly.

In the event of an audit, Federal Agents will ask to inspect and employers I-9 Forms.  An audit will identify areas of concern, that may lead to technical violation or more serious substantive violations.

A technical violation would be, neglecting to assure  that an employee has entered in their maiden name in section 1 of the I-9 Form.

A substantive violation would include not reviewing or entering proper List A, B or C identifying documents.

Employers are subject to to fines within the discretion of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Group (ICE).  ICE will determine the amount of the fine and also determine whether to suggest criminal prosecution for knowingly and continually employing unauthorized workers.

N3 Notary for information use only, not to be used as legal advice.