Do you know what to do if you receive an error message, “Document Number Invalid” when E-Verifying?

If you receive the error message, “Document Number Invalid” when creating a case in E-Verify, you should review the employee’s Form I-9 and any copies you previously made of their documentation to ensure you recorded the correct document number(s) in Section 2 of Form I-9 and entered them correctly in E-Verify. You can click the ‘Where can I find this number’ link below the document number box for more information.

If you need to make any corrections, you should close the previous E-Verify case and create a new one with the corrected information. If you don’t find any mistakes, tell the employee about the error message. In this situation, you may ask the employee to present any other documentation of their choice that would satisfy Form I-9 requirements. If they present new documents, update the Form I-9 accordingly, close the previous E-Verify case, and create a new case using the new documentation information.

To update the employee’s Form I-9 with new documents, write the new documentation information in the Additional Information field. Be sure to include the document title, issuing authority, document number, and expiration date (if applicable). You may also attach a note to the Form I-9 explaining the reason for two sets of different documents. For information about acceptable documentation, review the Lists of Acceptable Documents. You can also visit I-9 Central to review examples of acceptable Form I-9 documentation.