You should follow up, but not panic: if the case was created by the third business day, the E-Verify deadline was met, while any unfinished Form I-9 must be completed now.
“I am trying to complete the employee portion of Form I-9 via E-Verify+, but the system keeps returning an error when I try to submit my documents. My employer created the case within three days of my start date, but E-Verify support is still investigating the glitch and my case shows as incomplete. Should I be concerned about this delay, and what is the appropriate next step?”
Summary
The incomplete electronic status is not a finding that you are unauthorized to work, and E-Verify says employees may continue working during its process. The part that needs prompt attention is whether the underlying Form I-9 sections and document examination were actually completed.
Your next move depends on whether Form I-9 itself was completed before the E-Verify+ upload failed.
If you completed Section 1 and your employer examined your documents and completed Section 2, keep the existing E-Verify+ case open and work through support. The official instruction for is to access the case and continue, and employees may continue working during the E-Verify process (E-Verify Case Incomplete FAQ, updated Aug. 18, 2023; E-Verify Employee Rights, updated Feb. 3, 2025).
If Section 1 or Section 2 was never completed because of the glitch, your employer should arrange completion of the current as soon as possible. Use the real completion dates—do not backdate—and have the employer attach a signed, dated explanation of the technical problem and corrective action (USCIS I-9 Questions and Answers, updated Dec. 2, 2025).
A status tells the parties to continue the case; it is not the same status as a or .
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Watch out for
Next steps
These steps preserve the timely case, correct any separate Form I-9 problem, and keep support focused on the existing record.
Now
Send E-Verify+ a complete error report
Add these details to the existing support request or call the E-Verify+ Hotline at 1-800-738-9019; email is E-VerifyPlus@uscis.dhs.gov. Support operates Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Eastern, except when the federal government is closed, and its published normal email-response time is two business days. This is a technical-support request, not a new filing, so no form or government filing fee is involved (E-Verify+ Contact Us).
Requirements
Today
Confirm whether Form I-9 is actually complete
If Section 1 or Section 2 remains unfinished, use the current Form I-9 at https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-9.pdf and complete it as soon as possible. You complete Section 1; your employer or authorized representative examines the documents and completes Section 2. Use the actual dates, never backdate, and have the employer attach a signed and dated explanation identifying the E-Verify+ technical problem and corrective action. The employer retains the form; there is no USCIS filing or filing fee (USCIS Form I-9 Questions and Answers; E-Verify User Manual § 2.1).
Requirements
When the system permits
Continue the existing E-Verify+ case
Your employer should access the current record and continue the process. If a duplicate-case alert appears, the employer should review the existing cases and use “Continue Case” for the open case; a new case should be created only if it is genuinely warranted or support directs that action. Continuing the existing case requires no employee application or fee (E-Verify Case Incomplete FAQ; E-Verify User Manual § 2.3).
Requirements
While support investigates
Continue working while the E-Verify case is processed
E-Verify’s employee-rights guidance says you may start and continue working during the E-Verify process. That protection does not erase the separate document-presentation requirement: if your employer has not actually received acceptable Form I-9 documentation or a qualifying receipt, complete the previous step immediately because USCIS permits termination when an employee fails to present them within three business days (E-Verify Employee Rights; M-274 § 4.0).
Requirements
Legal sources
This answer relies on the current eCFR, USCIS Form I-9 guidance, and official E-Verify and E-Verify+ instructions.
E-Verify User Manual § 2.2
This establishes the employer’s E-Verify case-creation deadline.
2.2
E-Verify cases must be created no later than the third business day after the employee starts work for pay.
E-Verify User Manual § 2.1
E-Verify does not replace Form I-9, and the employee’s section is due on the first day.
2.1
Employers are required to timely and properly complete and retain Form I-9 for each employee they hire. These Form I-9 requirements also apply to E-Verify employers. Newly hired employees must complete Section 1 of Form I-9 in its entirety on the first day of employment.
8 CFR 274a.2(b)(1)(ii)(B)
The regulation requires the employer to complete Section 2 within three business days.
(b)(1)(ii)(B)
( B ) Complete section 2—“Employer Review and Verification”—on the Form I-9 within three business days of the hire and sign the attestation with a handwritten signature or electronic signature in accordance with paragraph (i) of this section.
E-Verify Case Incomplete FAQ
An incomplete case should be reopened and continued rather than ignored.
You may receive a **Case Incomplete** status if you fail to take action on the Review Case – Are You Sure? alert screen or during photo matching. If you have a case that is incomplete, you should access the case and continue the process.
E-Verify+ Contact Us
These are the dedicated E-Verify+ support channels.
**E-Verify+ Hotline:** 1-800-738-9019 [E-VerifyPlus@uscis.dhs.gov](mailto:E-VerifyPlus@uscis.dhs.gov)
E-Verify Employee Rights and Responsibilities
An unresolved E-Verify process does not, by itself, require stopping work.
Start and continue working during the E-Verify process, including while you are resolving a mismatch.
USCIS Form I-9 Questions and Answers
This explains how to correct a Form I-9 that was never completed or is missing.
If a Form I-9 was never completed or is missing, the current version of the Form I-9 should be completed as soon as possible. Employers should not backdate the form, but should clearly state the actual date employment began in the certification portion of Section 2. Employers should attach a signed and dated explanation of the corrective action taken.
Handbook for Employers M-274 § 4.0
This is the important limit when the employer has not actually received acceptable Form I-9 documents or a qualifying receipt.
4.0
You may terminate an employee who fails to present acceptable documentation (or an acceptable receipt for a document) within three business days
E-Verify User Manual § 2.3
The employer should review and continue the existing case before deciding whether another case is warranted.
2.3
Before proceeding with a new case, review all duplicate cases to determine whether a duplicate case is needed. To continue with a previously created open duplicate case, click the ‘Continue Case’ hyperlink.
These are the official rules as published on the cited dates; rules and system procedures can change.
This is general information about official processes, not legal advice, and SettleKit is not a law firm.
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