Ask for the actual notice
A supervisor saying ‘your documents did not go through’ leaves too many questions unanswered. The Justice Department explains that E-Verify compares Form I-9 information with government records. A tentative nonconfirmation, also called a mismatch, means the system did not immediately confirm work eligibility; it is not the same result as a final nonconfirmation.
Ask for the written instructions and read them in full. DOJ says employees have the right to take action to resolve a mismatch and must receive instructions that include the deadline for contacting the government. Put that deadline on a calendar and retain the notice before handing any copy back.
Make correction work precise
For your own records, compare the spelling of your name, dates, and identifying numbers across the notice and the documents you supplied. Note discrepancies without altering official records or guessing at a correction. Keep a brief log of each contact, the instructions received, and any confirmation number. This creates a reliable account if the issue requires follow-up.
A useful message to HR is: ‘Please provide the written mismatch notice and referral instructions. I want to review the information and take the required action within the stated deadline.’ Use the agency identified in those instructions. Avoid emailing identity documents to unfamiliar addresses merely because a caller claims to handle employment verification.
Know when to get help
DOJ states that an employer cannot fire, suspend, delay the start of work, or withhold earned pay because of a mismatch while the employee is taking action to resolve it. The agency also identifies discriminatory use of E-Verify as a concern. Its Immigrant and Employee Rights Section worker hotline is 1-800-255-7688.
If workplace treatment changes, preserve the schedule, pay record, relevant messages, and the date the employer learned you were resolving the mismatch. Describe what happened rather than assigning motives you cannot prove. Ask the appropriate agency or a qualified attorney for help promptly. A mismatch-resolution process does not itself create work authorization; keep the underlying employment-document question separate from the database issue.