University of Pittsburgh
Department “View Only” Access to I-9 Express

University of Pittsburgh /
I-9 Express View Only Access: Instructions & Information
Employer: Departments with “View Only” Access to I-9 Express /
Created by the Office of Human Resources
10/1/2012
Purpose of the I-9 Form / Page 2
Purpose of “View Only” Access to I-9 Express / Page 2
How to Obtain Access to View I-9 Express / Page 2
I-9 Express: First Time Log On Instructions / Page 3
I-9 Express: “View Only” Navigation Tips / Page 4
Questions: University Electronic I-9 Contact Information / Page 6

Form I–9 (Employment Eligibility Verification)

What is the purpose of the Form I–9?

All new employees are required by law to complete a Form I-9 within the first three days of employment, which is the Employment Eligibility Verification Form required by the federal government. The purpose of this form is to document that each new employee, both citizen and noncitizen, hired after November 6, 1986, is authorized to work in the United States. All new hires and rehires of the University are required to complete this form.

Purpose of “View Only” Access to I-9 Express

While hiring departments are no longer responsible for the completion of paper I-9 forms, responsibility remains for ensuring that new hires have completed the I-9 process. To help to ensure I-9 completion, departments may request view only access to the University’s electronic I-9 Express system for all employees within their RC / department. With view only access, departments will be able to see electronically completed I-9 forms for their new hires (in real time).

If requested, the Dean’s Offices for the schools will determine if / how access to I-9 Express will be distributed to departments within the school, or if access will remain within the Dean’s Office of the School.

Being able to view a new hire’s I-9 completion status in the I-9 Express system will enable departments to complete the paper appointment form citizenship status field with absolute certainty. (Without view only access, the alternative is to verbally ask the new employee after the offer is accepted “how are you authorized to work in the United States?” in order to complete the citizenship status field on the appointment form. Both ways are acceptable).

How to Obtain Access to View I-9 Express

Please complete the University Request Form for Access to I-9 Express (enclosed). When completing the form, select the “Viewer” user role, and specify which RCs or departments you are requesting to view. Have the form completed and signed according to the instructions on the form, and have the form faxed to the Office of Human Resources number on the form (Fax 412-624-2198). For any questions or to obtain a form, please call the Office of Human Resources at 412-624-0158.

First Time Log On Instructions to I-9 Express

After your University Request Form for Access to I-9 Express has been completed and submitted, you will be contacted by the Office of Human Resources to be notified that your account has been created and you may now begin to system use.

To log on to I-9 Express for the very first time:

  1. Go to
  2. Enter the Employer Code:14726
  3. Enter User ID – Your Full Social Security Number (this will remain your user ID)
  4. Enter Default Password – Your 4 digit birth year and last 4 digits of your employee ID #
    NOTE: Your employee ID # is found on your pay statement. If your employee number is less than 4 digits (i.e. “34”), then you would enter “0034”.If using this Employee ID example, and you were born in 1976, then your default password would be: “19760034”
  5. You’ll be able to change and personalize your password
  6. The system will also take you through a series of security questions for the first time “set-up”, and you will also select a security image for future verification purposes

Notes Regarding Logging on to I-9 Express for the very first time:

  • Before logging on, please make sure that you have completed and submitted a “Request for I-9 Express Access Form” to the Office of Human Resources, so that your account may be established
  • This is a web based system, and access to the internet is required to log on
  • Your employee ID # is found on your pay statement, which can be viewed online through the portal at and selecting “PRISM LOG IN” on the right hand side, and then selecting “PHR Employee Self-Service” and then selecting “Pay Statement”
  • When typing your SSN as your User ID, it is always masked on the screen
  • Security features of I-9 Express are very similar to those of online banking

Navigating the I-9 Express System for “View Only” Users

Usage of I-9 Express is limited for “View Only” users, and you will be able to search for and view completed I-9 forms for employees within your designated RC’s and / or departments as requested by you when your account was established.

After logging in, to search for an employee’s completed I-9 form:

  1. Select the ‘Search Employees’ button on the I-9 Express Main Menu home page. This is found either under the Main Menu on the left hand side of the screen, or in the middle section of the screen.
  2. Before searching, always delete the date (5/16/2011) from the ‘Date Range’ field in the search criteria.
    (This is the date the I-9 Express system was implemented for the University of Pittsburgh and defaults each time. Deleting the date from this field allows you to view I-9s that were uploaded into the system with a hire date prior to 5/16/2011).
  3. Enter one or more of the search criteria (Last Name, SSN, etc.) and select the ‘Search’ gray button to query the I-9 form.
  4. Under the Search Results list, select the I-9 form you’d like to view by clicking on the Employee’s Name
  5. Once the record is selected, you’ll be able to view the Employee Detail section.
  6. To view the actual electronic I-9 form, scroll to the bottom of the page, and under I-9 History, select the ‘Original I-9’ link under the Type column
  7. The selected employee’s electronic I-9 form will then open in a separate window for viewing purposes

Notes Regarding Searching for Electronic Employee I-9 Forms:

  • For best search results, when entering an employee’s last name on the employee search criteria page, always enter the full last name with the correct spelling
  • If a search by last name is not generating your intended search results, searching by SSN is one of the most accurate way to search for an employee’s I-9 form (must be the 9 digit number, dashes are not required)

Notes Regarding Searching for Electronic Employee I-9 Forms (continued…):

  • After searching for an employee, under the Search Results list, the letters under the ‘Type’ column mean:
  • C – I9 Completed
  • P – I9 Pending (Employee completed section 1, but the employee has not gone to a University designated I-9 Service Center or Completer to complete section 2 and present their employment authorization documentation)
  • R – Re-verification Due
  • NOTE: During the transition period to electronic I-9 processing, the Office of Human Resources is currently working on the reconciliation of all I-9 forms that are showing as “re-verification due” that have dates that are past due
  • M – Missing I9 Form
  • NOTE: During the transition period to electronic I-9 processing, the Office of Human Resources is currently working on recovery of all I-9 forms that are showing as “missing” in I-9 Express
  • To move back and forth between the screens, utilize the ‘Back’ buttons within the application, do not use your browser’s back button

Questions: University Electronic I-9 Contact Information

Your cooperation and support during this transition period to electronic I-9 processing is appreciated. We look forward to partnering with you to improve the University’s compliance with the Form I-9 completion process.

Electronic I-9 Implementation and Processing:

For all questions regarding the implementation of the electronic I-9 completion process, please contact:

  • Shelley Prisuta - Office of Human Resources (Project Manager for I-9 Initiative) – 412-624-8052 or e-mail
  • Stephen Ferber – Assistant Vice Chancellor HR – 412-624-8166 or e-mail

General I-9 Processing Requirements:

For questions regarding general I-9 processing requirements and E-Verify, additional contacts are:

  • Melissa Kluchurosky – Office of Human Resources (Senior Recruiter) – 412-624-1968 or e-mail
  • Michelle Sukal – Director of Recruiting & Client Services – 412-624-8062 or e-mail

Request Access to I-9 Express:

To request access to complete or view I-9 forms in the I-9 Express system, please contact:

  • Brock Sizer – Office of Human Resources – 412-648-0158 or
  • Jason Killmeyer – Office of Human Resources – 412-648-3358 or

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I-9 Express: Department “View Only” Access Guide (Version 10-1-12)