Home / How We Verify
How we validate the employment of an employee or student
We don't rely on a single phone call or a single document. NEVS runs a layered, primary-source-first methodology — confirming the facts directly with the employer or institution of record, corroborating them against national and commercial databases, and using documentary and lawful open-source evidence to close any gaps. Every conclusion arrives with a documented chain of evidence.
Consent first
Nothing begins without the subject's signed authorization and a permissible purpose under the FCRA.
Primary source first
We start at the employer or institution of record — the authoritative origin of the fact.
Corroborate everything
Each fact is cross-checked against an independent second source before we call it verified.
Document & date
Source, method, contact, and timestamp are captured for every step — defensible on day one.
Four layers, applied in order
We work top-down. A higher tier confirms the fact; lower tiers corroborate it or fill gaps when the primary source is slow, closed, or unavailable. The more tiers that agree, the higher the confidence we report.
Primary source of record
Direct confirmation from the employer's HR/payroll function or the institution's registrar, financial aid, or student-employment office — the entity that actually holds the record.
Confirms
Employer/title, dates, status, hours, earnings, reason for separation, enrollment
Highest confidenceNational & commercial databases
Authoritative datasets and payroll networks that hold employment and income records, plus government and licensing registries — used to confirm or independently corroborate the primary source.
Confirms
SSN validity, instant income/employment, work authorization, licensure, enrollment, exclusions
High confidenceDocumentary evidence from the subject
Consent-provided records — pay stubs, W-2/1099, offer letters, contracts, tax transcripts, or institutional letters — authenticated and matched against Tiers 1 and 2.
Confirms
Earnings detail, exact dates, role, gaps — especially for self-employed and small employers
CorroboratingOpen-source & social-media corroboration
Publicly available professional information — company directories, press, and professional networking profiles — used only to corroborate employer, role, and timeline, and to surface inconsistencies for human review. See our guardrails →
Confirms
Existence of employer, plausibility of role/title and dates, red-flag detection
Supplementary onlyWhat happens to a single verification
- 01
Intake & consent
We capture the request and the subject's signed FCRA authorization, plus any disclosures required for the use case.
- 02
Identity & SSN validation
We validate identity and the SSN format/issuance, and resolve the correct legal employer or institution of record.
- 03
Direct outreach
We contact the source of record through whatever channel they support — and we adapt to each employer's process.
- 04
Documentation collection
We accept the evidence the employer or subject can provide, in the format that's easiest for them, then authenticate it.
- 05
Database cross-checks
We confirm against national/commercial datasets, licensing boards, and government registries for an independent match.
- 06
Open-source corroboration
Where needed, public professional sources corroborate employer, role, and timeline and flag any inconsistencies.
- 07
Discrepancy resolution
Conflicts trigger re-contact and, where applicable, subject notice and a documented reinvestigation.
- 08
Adjudication & report
A specialist assigns a confidence level and issues a chain-of-evidence report with every source and timestamp.
We work with whatever the employer can give us
A Fortune 500 HR department, a 6-person startup, and a sole proprietor all keep records differently. Instead of forcing one process on everyone, NEVS meets each employer where they are — accepting any of the evidence below and authenticating it on our side.
| Evidence / method we accept | What it establishes | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Written Verification of Employment (VOE) letter | Employer, title, dates, status, sometimes salary | Any employer |
| HR/payroll system export or screenshot | Dates, status, hours, earnings | Mid–large employers |
| Pay stubs, W-2, or 1099 | Income, employer, period worked | Subject-provided / small employers |
| Offer letter or employment contract | Role, start date, compensation terms | Recent hires |
| I-9 / E-Verify record | Work authorization, hire date | Right-to-work checks |
| Third-party payroll provider (ADP, Paychex, Workday, etc.) | Authoritative employment & income | Outsourced HR |
| Phone verification with documented callback | Confirms record & legitimacy of contact | Employers without a portal |
| Email from a verified corporate domain | Written confirmation, traceable origin | Remote / lean teams |
| Secure e-signed VOE form | Structured, attributable confirmation | Employers who prefer digital |
Whatever the channel — portal, phone, fax, email, or e-signature — we record who provided it, how, and when, and we authenticate the source before it counts toward a result.
Independent datasets we cross-check against
Databases give us a second, independent confirmation of what the employer reports — and an instant answer when a primary source is slow or unreachable. We access each only with consent and a permissible purpose.
SSN validation & identity
Confirm the SSN is validly issued and consistent with the subject's identity and history.
Instant employment & income networks
Commercial payroll-contributed databases that return employer, status, and income in real time.
Business registration & EIN
Secretary of State and business registries confirm the employer legally exists and is active.
Professional licensing boards
State and national boards confirm active licensure, certification, and disciplinary standing.
National Student Clearinghouse
Enrollment, degree, and graduation verification for education and student-status checks.
State wage / labor records
State workforce-agency wage data corroborates earnings and employment where legally permitted.
E-Verify / SAVE
Federal systems confirm employment eligibility and immigration-based work authorization.
Exclusion & sanctions lists
SAM.gov, OIG-LEIE, and similar registries flag debarment and program exclusions.
Court & public records
Where relevant and permissible, public records corroborate identity, addresses, and timelines.
Public signals — used carefully, never as the sole basis
Publicly available information is a powerful corroboration and fraud-detection layer. When a record is thin or a claim looks inconsistent, lawful open-source research helps confirm that an employer exists, that a role is plausible, and that a timeline holds together.
Sources we may consult
- Company websites, staff directories, and official press or filings
- Professional networking profiles (e.g., LinkedIn) for stated employer, title, and dates
- Professional and trade directories, registries, and membership listings
- Publicly posted business information and reputable news coverage
How we use it
As a corroborating signal and a red-flag detector — to confirm consistency with the primary source, or to surface a contradiction (for example, a claimed employer that doesn't appear to exist) that a human specialist then investigates. It supports a conclusion; it never makes one on its own.
How student employment is validated
Student work spans on-campus jobs, Federal Work-Study, internships, and practical training. We combine institutional records with the same database and documentary layers — handled FERPA-aware. See Higher Ed & Title IV →
Enrollment & degree
Confirmed via the National Student Clearinghouse and the institution's registrar.
Federal Work-Study
Hours and earnings verified against the institution's financial aid and payroll records.
On-campus employment
Confirmed through the department or campus HR holding the student's appointment.
Internships & co-ops
Verified with the host employer and corroborated by the institution's program records.
OPT / CPT (F-1)
Practical-training employment confirmed with the employer and training-authorization documentation.
Income for aid & lending
Student earnings validated for aid verification, deferment, and lending decisions.
Every result carries a clear status
We don't report a flat "pass/fail." Each fact is graded so you know exactly how strong the evidence is.
Confirmed by the primary source and at least one independent source; no conflicts.
Some elements confirmed; others pending or supported only by corroborating sources.
Source unreachable or unwilling; we document every attempt and the alternatives tried.
Sources conflict with the claim; flagged with details for your review and the subject's dispute rights.
When sources disagree
A conflict isn't the end of the process — it starts a documented one.
- 1
Re-contact & re-source. We return to the primary source and seek an additional independent record.
- 2
Subject notice. Where the FCRA requires it, the subject is notified and given the chance to clarify or dispute.
- 3
Reinvestigation. Disputed items are reinvestigated within statutory timelines, with results documented.
- 4
Transparent record. The final report shows the conflict, the steps taken, and the outcome.
A chain-of-evidence report
Every verification ships as a report you can hand to an auditor, underwriter, or program reviewer without follow-up questions.
- Result & confidence grade per fact
- Each source, method & contact
- Timestamps for every step
- Attempts made & alternatives used
- Discrepancy notes, if any
- Retained & retrievable for audit
The rules every step follows
- FCRA permissible purpose & signed consent on every request
- Data minimization — we collect only what the request requires
- FERPA, GLBA & DPPA handling for education, financial & DMV data
- Adverse-action & dispute rights honored end to end
- Encryption in transit & at rest under SOC 2 controls
Verification you can defend, every time
Tell us who you need to verify and we'll show you the exact sources and evidence we'll use.