Purpose
Form I-9 verifies your identity and your authorization to work in the United States. Every employee hired to work in the U.S. must complete one. Section 1 is the part you fill out yourself: you enter your personal details, declare your citizenship or immigration status, and electronically sign to attest that the information is true. This article explains when to complete Section 1, where to find it in UZIO, and how to fill it in correctly.
Who does this: The employee (or Prospective Employee). You complete Section 1 in your own UZIO portal. Your employer cannot fill it in for you. Your employer completes Section 2 afterwards.
When Section 1 must be completed
You must complete Section 1 on or before your first day of employment.
- If you are a Prospective Employee, this normally happens during your self-onboarding.
- If you are already an active Employee, your employer may assign the I-9 form to you later. In that case, complete Section 1 as soon as the form is assigned.
Note: Federal rules require Section 1 to be complete no later than the end of your first day of work. If the form reaches you after that, complete it immediately. Your employer's half, Section 2, has its own deadline of three business days after your first day, and it cannot start until you have signed Section 1.
Where to find Section 1
Section 1 is completed in your UZIO web portal. It may also appear in the UZIO Mobile App under Documents; if it does not, use the web portal.
- During self-onboarding: After you finish your personal information, you move on to the documents required for onboarding. The assigned I-9 form appears there.
- As an active employee (or if you skipped it during onboarding): Go to Documents > Tax and Compliance > I-9, then click Edit & Sign.
The I-9 form stays visible in your Documents module until you complete and submit it.
Steps to complete Section 1
Step 1 — Select your citizenship / immigration status
This is always the first field, and your choice determines which additional fields appear.
| Option | Who it applies to | What you must also provide |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Citizen | Born in the U.S., born abroad to U.S. citizen parents, or naturalized | Nothing extra |
| Non-Citizen National of the United States | Born in American Samoa or Swains Island — not a citizen but owe permanent allegiance to the U.S. | Nothing extra |
| Lawful Permanent Resident | Green Card holder | Your Alien Registration Number (A-Number / USCIS Number). Enter it exactly as printed on your card: 7 to 9 digits, with or without the leading "A." |
| Alien Authorized to Work | Temporary work authorization from USCIS (visa holder, OPT, EAD) | Your work authorization expiration date, plus either your A-Number or your Form I-94 admission number (never both). If you present a foreign passport, also enter the passport number and country of issuance. |
UZIO automatically shows the correct fields for the status you pick, and a guidance box explains what documents are required.
Note: The current federal Form I-9 uses the word "noncitizen" for the last two options ("a noncitizen national of the United States" and "a noncitizen authorized to work"). The wording in UZIO may differ slightly. Choose the option that matches your status, not the label that sounds closest.
Note (your A-Number): On a Permanent Resident Card the number is usually printed under "USCIS#" as plain digits, with no letter in front of it. Type what you see. UZIO accepts it with or without the "A" and formats it correctly for E-Verify. If the format is wrong you'll see: "Enter your 7- to 9-digit USCIS Number (A-Number). You may include or omit the leading 'A'."
Common mistake: Provide either your A-Number or your I-94 number, not both. If both are entered, E-Verify rejects the case with "Alien Number or I94 Number are required. Both may not be specified." Use the one your document actually shows.
Common mistake: Selecting a status that does not match your actual work authorization causes mismatches during employer verification or E-Verify. Choose the status that accurately reflects your current legal authorization.
Step 2 — Choose whether to upload documents
Upload Documents (Yes / No) — default is Yes.
- Yes — the document selection and upload fields appear.
- No — the upload fields are hidden.
This choice controls document uploads only; it does not, by itself, block the form.
Note: Your employer may have turned on a setting that makes document uploads required during Section 1. If that setting is on, you cannot submit Section 1 until you upload your documents. Contact your HR administrator if you are unsure whether it applies to you.
Step 3 — Select your document list
Choose from a List A document, or a List B document plus a List C document.
- List A documents establish both identity and work authorization on their own.
- List B documents establish identity only.
- List C documents establish work authorization only. If you do not have a List A document, you must provide one from List B and one from List C.
See the official USCIS list of acceptable documents before you choose.
Not sure which of the numbers on your card the form is asking for? See Which Documents to Present for Form I-9 and Exactly What to Type. It shows, for every common document, where the document number sits and what to type as the issuing authority.
Common mistake: If your document is not offered by name in UZIO's list, stop and ask your HR administrator before choosing the closest option. Picking a near match causes an E-Verify mismatch later, and by then the form is signed and cannot be edited.
Step 4 — Enter document details
For each document you selected, enter:
- Document Number
- Issuing Authority
- Expiration Date (where the document has one)
- State of Issuance: appears only when you choose Driver's License as your List B document; select the U.S. state that issued the license.
Common mistake: Document numbers must match your document exactly, including every letter and number. If your work authorization has no expiration date, leave the Expiration Date blank. Do not guess. E-Verify needs either an expiration date or confirmation that none applies, never both.
Step 5 — Upload document images
Upload clear images of your documents.
- Supported formats: JPG, PNG or PDF.
- Maximum size: 5 MB per file.
- **Upload the front and the back of every document you present**, not just the documents that look two-sided.
Note (why both sides): If E-Verify later asks to see a copy of your document (a photo match), UZIO must submit a front image and a back image. It cannot send the copy with only one side. If the back was never captured, your employer has to come back to you for it and the case waits until you send it. Photographing both sides now avoids that delay.
Common mistake: Blurry or incomplete images cause delays. Make sure images are readable and include all required pages.
Step 6 — Sign and submit
Once every required field is filled, electronically sign Section 1 to attest that your information is true and correct, then click Submit. UZIO sends the form to your employer for Section 2 review and verification.
What happens after you submit
The form's status moves to Pending with Employer, and your employer is notified to complete Section 2. You cannot edit Section 1 after signing. If your employer finds an error, they will assign a new I-9 to you. You cannot reassign it yourself. The new form appears under Documents > Tax and Compliance > I-9.
If your employer is enrolled in E-Verify, they create an E-Verify case after signing Section 2. You are contacted only if E-Verify needs something from you (see "E-Verify returned a mismatch" below). Most cases confirm without any further action on your part.
Common problems
Which status do I pick?
Pick the one that matches your current legal work authorization, not the one that looks closest. The four options and who each applies to are in the Step 1 table above. Choosing the wrong one is not a harmless mistake. It changes which fields you're asked for, and it surfaces later as a mismatch during your employer's verification or in E-Verify. At that point the whole form has to be reassigned and completed again. If you're not sure, ask your HR administrator before you sign.
My A-Number is only 7 digits
That's fine. Older A-Numbers are shorter than newer ones, and UZIO accepts 7, 8, or 9 digits. Do not pad it with zeros. Enter it exactly as printed.
Do I type the "A" in front of my A-Number?
Either way works. UZIO accepts the number with or without the leading "A" and formats it for E-Verify itself. Spaces and hyphens are ignored. If what you typed isn't accepted, you'll see: "Enter your 7- to 9-digit USCIS Number (A-Number). You may include or omit the leading 'A'." That almost always means the digit count is wrong, not the prefix.
I have both an A-Number and an I-94 number
Enter only one. Supplying both is rejected by E-Verify with "Alien Number or I94 Number are required. Both may not be specified." Use the number from the document you're presenting.
The form is asking for an I-94 number I didn't expect
Some document choices require it. If you selected a foreign passport as your List A document, E-Verify needs the matching I-94. The form will tell you so with "I-94 number required with foreign passport." (or "I-94 number required with FSM/RMI passport." for a Federated States of Micronesia or Republic of the Marshall Islands passport). Find the I-94 number on your admission record and enter it alongside the passport details.
The form won't let me submit without uploading documents
Your employer can turn on a setting that makes document upload required at Section 1. If it's on, the form will not submit until your images are attached. There is no way to skip it from your side. Upload the documents, or ask your HR administrator whether the requirement applies to you.
Do I really have to upload the back of my document?
Upload it. Whether the form insists on a back image at this point depends on your employer's configuration. The back image is what UZIO needs later if E-Verify asks for a photo match, and at that stage the copy cannot be submitted with only one side. Capture both sides of everything you present and nobody has to chase you for them.
My document has no expiration date
Leave Expiration Date blank. Do not guess a date and do not type "N/A". E-Verify needs either a real expiration date or nothing at all, never both a date and a "no expiry" claim.
I have applied for a Social Security Number but have not received it yet
Tell your HR administrator before you sign. Federal rules let you complete Form I-9 while your SSN application is pending, but E-Verify cannot run without the number: UZIO will not send a case to E-Verify until a 9-digit SSN is on the form. Your employer will arrange the E-Verify case once you have the number. Do not type a placeholder such as all zeros.
My employer says my SSN was rejected
Your Social Security Number must be exactly 9 digits. If it isn't, the case fails at creation with "Invalid SSN. Must contain exactly 9 digits." Because the case is created days after you typed it, your employer sees this error about information they never entered. If this happens, the I-9 has to be reassigned so you can enter the correct number.
E-Verify returned a mismatch (Tentative Nonconfirmation). What do I do?
A mismatch means E-Verify could not immediately confirm your details against government records. It is not a final result and it does not mean you are unauthorized to work. UZIO emails you when it happens, and your employer gives you a Further Action Notice that explains your options. You then choose whether to take action to resolve the mismatch or not. The choice is yours alone; your employer must not advise you which to pick and must not change your job, pay or hours while the case is open. If you take action, you have 8 federal working days from the referral to contact DHS or visit an SSA office. Record your decision in the UZIO web portal under Documents > Tax and Compliance > I-9 (E-Verify status). If you cannot find where to record it, ask your HR administrator. The official employee guide is at e-verify.gov.
I signed and then spotted a mistake
Section 1 cannot be edited after you sign it. That's a federal requirement, not a UZIO limitation. Tell your employer straight away. They will reassign a new I-9 and you complete it from scratch; the old one stays on record for audit. See Reassigning a Form I-9 for what your employer does.
Can I do this in the UZIO Mobile App?
Section 1 may be offered in the UZIO Mobile App under Documents. If you do not see the I-9 there, complete it in the web portal, which always has it. Note that this is specifically the I-9: if you are a new hire working through self-onboarding, that whole journey runs in a web browser (computer or mobile browser) and not in the app. See Completing Your Self-Onboarding.
Still stuck?
Contact your employer's HR administrator, not UZIO. They are the only ones who can reassign the form if something is wrong after you signed, and the only ones who can tell you whether document upload is required at your company. Send them your name, the status shown on the I-9 in your Documents section, and a screenshot of anything that isn't working. Never email photos of your identity documents. If UZIO's help is needed, your HR administrator will raise it.
Related articles
- Which Documents to Present for Form I-9 and Exactly What to Type — which number to enter, and where it sits on each document
- Completing Your Self-Onboarding
- Viewing and Uploading Your Documents
- Reviewing and Verifying Form I-9 (Section 2) — your employer's half of the form
- Reassigning a Form I-9 — what happens if the form has to be re-done
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