I-9 Section 1 Correction - Recruiter Experience

When an error is found in Section 1 of an I-9 Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States., you can issue a correction instead of restarting the entire form. The recruiter initiates the correction in Bullhorn, and the applicant completes it in the applicant portal. Section 1 and Section 2 corrections are handled independently of each other.

Common Reasons to Correct Section 1

Most Section 1 corrections fall into a small number of categories. Use a correction when the issue is limited to data entry — not when the applicant's eligibility status needs to change.

• The applicant entered their name, date of birth, or address incorrectly.
• The citizenship or immigration status attestation was selected in error.
• A preparer or translator field was filled out incorrectly.
• An expiration date or alien registration number was entered incorrectly.
• You need to re-open Section 1 for the applicant to review and update.

How to Initiate a Section 1 Correction

You can initiate a correction from the I-9 Dashboard Details panel or from the Applicant (or Candidate or Talent) Customer talent - the person applying or hired for the job > Onboarding page. The process is the same from either location. The system always uses the most recently signed Section 1 as the basis for the correction, regardless of which signed document you select.

From the I-9 Dashboard

1. Navigate to I-9 / E-Verify An online system that confirms the eligibility of an Employee to work in the United States. The process compares information entered by an employer from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm employment eligibility. > I-9 Dashboard.
2. Click View Details for the record that needs a correction.
3. Under Section 1, click Select an option and choose Begin Correction.
   
4. Select OK in the confirmation dialog.
   The Details panel refreshes and shows Correction Issued under Section 1.
   

From the Applicant > Onboarding Page

1. Navigate to Applicants and open the record that needs the correction.
2. Select Onboarding.
3. Click … next to the signed Section 1 document and select Begin Correction.
   
4. Select OK in the confirmation dialog.
   The page refreshes and displays the open correction under Open eDocs with a status of SENT.

How to View a Correction in Progress

After a correction is issued but before the applicant signs it, you can check its status in two places.

• On the I-9 Dashboard, a new row is created for each correction issued. These rows represent I-9s, not unique applicants. The Details panel shows the status of Correction Issued, and the correction row shows a status of Pending until it is signed.
• On the Applicant > Onboarding page, the correction shows in the Document Package A group of Forms grouped together based on Location, Client, or other internal design that can be assigned as a single Task column marked with Correction. The Section 1 correction remains under Open eDocs until the applicant signs it.

How to Cancel a Section 1 Correction

You can cancel a correction at any point before the applicant signs it. Once signed, the correction cannot be reversed — initiate a new correction if additional changes are needed.

1. Navigate to Applicant > Onboarding.
2. Click … next to the correction and select Cancel from the drop-down.

The cancellation is logged in the audit trail, but no data change is recorded because no signature was collected. The original signed Section 1 remains unchanged.

What the Applicant Does

Once the correction is issued and you contact the applicant, they complete it in their applicant portal. The form pre-fills with the data from their most recently signed Section 1.

1. The applicant clicks the action button in their portal to open Section 1.
2. They scroll through the Preliminary Info page and select Next.
3. They review and update the necessary fields, then select Finish and Sign.

For more detail on the applicant's steps, see I-9 Section 1 Correction - Applicant Experience.

Audit Trail

When the correction is signed, the changes are reflected in both the Applicant Audit Trail and the I-9 Audit Trail. The audit trail records all field values before and after signing but does not identify which specific fields changed. Admin users can view the following correction events under Applicant > Audit Trail:

• Initiation
• Access
• Completion
• Cancelation

All versions of the I-9 (original and all signed corrections) are retained and can be retrieved if needed by USCIS.

Troubleshooting

Use these steps to resolve the most common issues with Section 1 corrections.

If Begin Correction is not available in the Section 1 menu

Section 1 must be signed before a correction can be initiated. If Section 1 shows as incomplete or in progress, the applicant needs to finish signing it first. Corrections are not available until a completed, signed Section 1 exists.

If the applicant says they did not receive any notification about the correction

Bullhorn does not send an automatic notification for Section 1 corrections. You need to contact the applicant directly to let them know a correction is waiting in their portal. The correction appears as an incomplete task, but there is no email or in-app alert sent to the applicant.

If the Employee Attestation fields are grayed out and the applicant cannot change them

If Section 2 has already been completed, the attestation fields in Section 1 are locked to protect the integrity of the Section 2 verification. If the attestation itself was entered incorrectly — for example, the wrong citizenship or immigration status was selected — and the documents recorded in Section 2 do not match that attestation, a Section 1 correction is not sufficient. An entirely new I-9 is required. Contact your compliance team to begin the re-issuance process.

If the correction row is showing in the I-9 Dashboard but looks like a duplicate employee entry

Each correction creates a new row in the I-9 Dashboard. These rows represent I-9s, not unique applicants. If the same applicant has had multiple corrections, you will see multiple rows. This is expected behavior.

If the correction was signed but the changes are not showing in the I-9

Refresh your browser. If the changes still do not appear, check the I-9 Audit Trail on the Applicant record to confirm the signature was recorded. If the signature is in the audit trail but the I-9 still shows old data, contact Bullhorn Support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Section 1 correction be initiated before Section 2 is completed?

Yes. A correction can be initiated as long as Section 1 is signed, regardless of whether Section 2 has been completed.

Will the applicant see which fields need to be corrected?

No. The correction form opens the full Section 1 pre-filled with the applicant's existing data. It does not highlight or flag the fields that need to be updated. You need to tell the applicant directly what to fix.

Can a correction be canceled after the applicant signs it?

No. Once the applicant signs the correction, it is complete. If additional changes are needed, initiate a new correction.

Can multiple corrections be made to the same Section 1?

Yes. Each correction is issued individually, and a new row is created in the I-9 Dashboard for each one. The system always uses the most recently signed version as the basis for the next correction.

Does issuing a Section 1 correction affect the E-Verify case?

A Section 1 correction does not automatically trigger a new E-Verify case — E-Verify auto-creation is skipped for corrections. If the correction involves data that E-Verify uses (such as name or date of birth), manually create a new E-Verify case after the correction is signed. Navigate to the Applicant Profile The Applicant’s self-service ability to add or update information about themselves (e.g., job preferences, references, education, work history), open the E-Verify tab, and select Create new E-Verify Case.

Scenarios

The following scenarios describe common situations where a Section 1 correction is needed. Each is written to stand alone for quick reference.

An applicant's last name is spelled incorrectly in Section 1 after Section 2 has already been completed

A Section 1 correction can be initiated even after Section 2 is complete. From the I-9 Dashboard, open the record's Details panel, click Select an option under Section 1, and choose Begin Correction. The correction is issued with a status of Correction Issued. Contact the applicant directly to let them know a correction is waiting in their portal. The applicant logs in, finds the incomplete task, and corrects the name. Note that if the correction involves the Employee Attestation section, those fields are locked because Section 2 is already complete.

A correction was initiated but the applicant has not completed it after several days

Bullhorn does not send reminders for open corrections. Follow up directly with the applicant and confirm they have the correction in their portal as an incomplete task. If needed, cancel the existing correction from Applicant > Onboarding and issue a new one after reaching the applicant.

A correction was initiated in error and needs to be canceled

Navigate to Applicant > Onboarding. Find the correction in Open eDocs and click the … menu next to it. Select Cancel. The cancellation is logged in the audit trail, but no data change is recorded because no signature was collected. The original signed Section 1 remains unchanged.