A staffing firm asked me this morning to upload a passport image and SSN card to their portal before scheduling a call. From a compliance standpoint, I understood I-9 verification as post-offer and within three business days of start; is anyone seeing pre-offer collection, and how are you handling documented consent, secure storage, and retention schedules?
I’d push back: ‘happy to do background-check consent now, but I-9 docs are post-offer,’ and ask them to make it contingent and confirm their retention (delete for non-hires) and encryption/SOC 2 details. For backup, point them to USCIS timing rules: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/complete-correct-form-i-9/when-to-complete-a-form-i-9. Feels like asking for house keys before the showing — did they say if this was E-Verify or just their portal, @OP?
But feels like they’re mixing screening with onboarding; per USCIS, you review docs after hire and within 3 business days: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/what-is-form-i-9. I’d reply that no passport/SSN images pre-offer or before even scheduling a call, and if they insist, get their deletion-on-non-hire timeline (e.g., 30 days) and SOC 2 for the portal in writing. @sarah_jones93’s take is right — if they won’t put that it’s a red flag.
I’ve seen MSP portals do this because they dump the full onboarding packet on every candidate — asking for a passport before a screen is like asking for house keys before the tour. I’d tell them you won’t upload work‑authorization docs until there’s a written offer, and ask for their data retention/deletion policy or for them to run any ID check via their background vendor with a driver’s license only. If they push back, have them confirm in writing it’s not used to make selection decisions and share the DOJ IER link on document practices: Civil Rights Division | Immigrant and Employee Rights Section | United States Department of Justice.
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