As a newly hired student employee, we want to make sure you have a smooth transition into your new job. Carefully review the following information and ensure all necessary documents are ready for processing.
- Post Open Positions in Handshake: Departments using departmental funds can post open positions in Handshake or through other channels, depending on your processes. The SE Team recommends posting jobs in May for the upcoming academic year and Nov./Dec. for the upcoming Spring semester. The SE Team approves jobs posted in Handshake.
- Review Applicants / Start Initial Communication: As you review applicants and find those that fit your schedule, the SE Team encourages you to start with either an informal interview or an actual interview. During this time, the SE Team can help confirm employment status. Departments can email the SE Team the names/banner IDs of potential hires to check their employment status. The SE Team asks for up to 48 hours to complete the confirmation request.
- Requirements for Students – New Hire Onboarding
- All students must complete a Student Employment Authorization Form (SEAF). A start date must be agreed upon by the department and the student and listed on the SEAF.
- The start date must be determined to complete the I-9. If the I-9 is not completed before the predetermined start date, the department must adjust accordingly. An employment offer cannot be rescinded without reasonable accommodation for the student’s completion of the I-9 process.
- Students MUST complete the I-9 process within 3 days of starting work, or they must stop working until it is complete. Failure to comply with this process will lead to non-compliance and the possibility of an audit for the individual department.
- Students must complete the I-9 process via the remote link, which the student or the department can request. In-person walk-ins are only available on Friday mornings.
- Confirmation of Employment: The department will receive email verification that the student is authorized to begin working on campus.
EPAFs/SEAF can now be submitted to SE for approval and sent to Payroll. TCP users are added to TCP only after an EPAF is submitted. - Onboarding in Your Office: Confirm AppalNet Timesheet or TCP access during the student’s first day of work. This will allow SE to
correct any errors prior to the end of the pay period. Create a system with your students regarding hours and end-of-pay-period submissions.
Foreign National New Hire Student Employees, please use this Foreign National New Hire Packet and be sure to schedule an appointment with the Office of Human Resources for your student to be processed.
The E-Verify program, formerly called the Basic Pilot program, enables employers to verify the employment eligibility of all their newly hired employees, regardless of citizenship. E-Verify provides an automated link to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) databases to help employers determine new hires’ employment eligibility and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
How does this work for your office
This program does not affect your current student employees. Each hiring department will only have to verify new employees. If the student has worked on campus before, they will not have to go through the verification process through Homeland Security.
Making the E-Verify work for Appalachian State University
Section 401 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA – Public Law 104-208) required the federal government to establish pilot programs to verify the employment eligibility of new hires.
Participation in the E-Verify Program is voluntary and has been available for every business in the country since late 2004. Appalachian State University has agreed to participate in this program, so it is mandatory for all new hires. As a Student Supervisor, you must be approved to have access to this program.
Under the E-Verify Program, an employer who elects to participate signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that spells out the responsibilities of each party. Dr. Tim Burwell and Ms. Doris Greer have signed the MOU for our university. When an employer hires a new employee, s/he first satisfies current law by having the employee complete the I-9 form within three business days of hire. Our departments on campus currently require the student, faculty, or staff to complete the I-9 form within three business days of hire.
The I-9 states the employee’s name, date of birth, social security number, and an attestation that the employee is a United States citizen, lawful permanent resident, or alien authorized to work in the U.S. The employee presents to the employer either one document establishing identity and work authorization (e.g., a U.S. passport or green card) or two documents that establish identity and work authorization (e.g., a driver’s license and a social security card). The employer examines them to ensure they reasonably appear valid (i.e., the photo is not taped on the driver’s license) and records the document number, issuing agency, and expiration date, if any, on the I-9. Then, the employer signs an attestation on the I-9 saying that he has examined the documents and they appear valid.
Once the I-9 is done, the employer logs onto a secure DHS website called the E-Verify Website, enters the employee’s full name, date of birth, and social security number. S/He chooses from a drop-down box which document/combination of documents the employee presented, then clicks the submit button. The information about the employee is transmitted immediately to the SSA (Social Security Administration).
Here is what happens next that we must pay close attention to:
If the SSN (social security number) and the name match SSA records, the employer receives a message within two or three seconds that the employee is authorized to work, and the process is finished.
Suppose the SSN and name match, but the SSA cannot verify that the employee is work authorized (i.e., the SSN may have been issued “not for employment purposes”). In that case, the employer gets a message that DHS attempts to verify work authorization. DHS usually responds within 24 hours, but the law gives it three days, since it has to check its records by hand if the automated check does not match the name and immigration document. If DHS finds a match, it tells the employer, and the process is finished. Otherwise, the employer is said to have the employee check with DHS directly to clear up the problem.
To Hire or Not to Hire – If the SSN and name do not match, the employer receives a message to refer the employee to SSA to clear up the problem.
In either case where the employee is referred to SSA/DHS, the employer will be notified within 10 days that either work authorization is confirmed or not confirmed, in which case the employer must terminate the employee.
Time and pay
Students should familiarize themselves with our guidelines regarding work hours, timesheet submissions, and paychecks. Guidance on working during adverse weather and during emergency closings is also provided. Carefully review the time and pay information and contact us with any questions.