| Having trouble reading this newsletter? Click here to see it in your browser. You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up from our web site. Click here to unsubscribe. |
 |
 |
|
Contents 
Contact Us Division of Personnel Security 
|
|
This is the February 11, 2009 issue of the DPSAC NEWS Summer Student Enrollment Period Fast Approaching – NED 2.0 to Streamline the Process Good news for this year’s “class” of students who will begin arriving at the NIH campus this Spring to begin their Summer internships. NED 2.0 has automated many of the steps required to enroll and issue badges to these individuals making the process more efficient and saving students (and the AOs assisting them) considerable time and shoe leather. The enrollment policies will remain essentially unchanged from last year, with most students requiring only an NCIC (‘name check’) and not requiring a fingerprint check or background investigation. Click here to view a graphic illustrating the new workflow process, beginning with the student applying for a position via the NIH website and ending with the student bringing the badge authorization e-mail to DPSAC or their local badging location to receive his or her badge. Foreign National vs. Lawful Permanent Resident - An Important Distinction for Enrollment Reminder to AOs – it is important to correctly identify Nationality when prompted in NED. Whereas all Foreign Nationals must visit the Division of International Services* (DIS) before they can be Sponsored and processed for an ID Badge, Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders) undergo the same enrollment and badging procedures as U.S. Citizens starting work at the NIH. This means that Lawful Permanent Residents are not required to visit DIS prior to their fingerprinting appointment with DPSAC. The DIS has discovered that some Lawful Permanent Residents are coming to them for clearance, even though it's not required. It appears there’s an explanation for this discrepancy. When an AO sends out an e-mail inviting the applicant to provide their Personally Identifiable Information (PII), the applicant is given a link to access NED via a secure online portal. This portal contains all of the fields on the Form HHS 745. However, for individuals who indicate on the online portal that they are born outside the US, additional fields will appear that require completion. These fields prompt the individual to declare whether he/she is a Lawful Permanent Resident and if so, to provide an Alien Registration Number. For individuals completing the paper Form HHS 745, however, these two additional fields (Lawful Permanent Resident and Alien Registration Number) are not listed. Thus, an AO who receives the paper form from the applicant will not have this data when updating the NED record and the fields will be left blank. When this occurs, NED automatically assumes the applicant is a Foreign National and not a Lawful Permanent Resident and generates an e-mail instructing that person, incorrectly, to visit DIS prior to their fingerprinting appointment with DPSAC. AOs can help their applicants avoid an unnecessary trip to DIS by asking them to include the missing additional information about their immigration status (when applicable) so that their NED records can be updated accurately. Click here to see a screen shot illustrating these fields. *ALL foreign nationals must visit the Division of International Services (DIS) before they can be fingerprinted by DPSAC. DIS is responsible for verifying that all non-immigrants (individuals who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents) placed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been lawfully admitted to the United States and are permitted to work at the NIH. These individuals must be cleared by the DIS before they are eligible for an NIH Identification Badge. To find out more about the Division of International Services and the clearance procedures for foreign nationals at NIH, visit the DIS website at: http://dis.ors.od.nih.gov. The site describes the many resources available to foreign nationals at the NIH and covers topics such as the NIH Visiting Program, Visa Information, and Information for Foreign Contractors requiring ID Badges. You may want to bookmark the DIS homepage since Alerts & Advisories are posted there.. Take Advantage of Upcoming Free “Hands On” NED Classes To accommodate the high demand for NED ‘hands on’ training, the NED Team and the HSPD-12 Program Office will be offering as many as 13 NED ‘hands on’ classes between now and the end of April. Click here to view the schedule of available classes. The earlier you register, the more likely you will have your choice of dates. We anticipate that the classes will fill quickly. Please e-mail Dan Shumate in the HSPD-12 Program Office and let him know which session you would like to attend. The courses are free and handout materials will be provided. You are encouraged to share this information with other NED users in your IC. Enrollment/Badging Center Will Close for One Hour on Friday, February 20 Please take note that the Enrollment Center in Building 31, Room 1B03, will be closed for one hour on Friday, February 20, from 1:00 p.m.--2:00 p.m.
The NIH Personnel Security Office is available to answer your questions about e-QIP. Their e-QIP helpdesk phone number is 301-402-9755. • AOs in the Role of PIV Sponsor Must Complete HHS PIV Sponsor Training AOs who will be sponsoring individuals for the HHS ID Badge (PIV Card) and have not completed the mandatory HHS PIV Sponsor training should complete the Sponsor Training. To do this, click on the following link: http://intranet.hhs.gov/pivcard/training/sponsor/. Once you have completed the training module, please fax or mail the signed and dated training certificate to: HSPD-12 Program Office • Reminder to AOs: Try to register new NIH employees or contractors as early as possible. The earlier an incoming NIH employee, contractor or affiliate is added and sponsored in NED, the sooner DPSAC can begin the investigation process. Remember that it is possible to sponsor an individual in NED even before they arrive at the NIH. This applies only to initial badge requests for new NIH workers and NOT the badge renewal process that begins 45 days prior to the expiration of an individual’s current badge. • Badge Renewal Instruction Guide Available in NED: A step-by-step instruction guide for renewing an ID badge in NED is now available to NED users by clicking the ‘Help’ radio button (‘Robo-Help’) in NED. This new aid provides detailed instructions for AOs and separate instructions for ATs and other administrative support staff responsible for inputting information into the NED system.
Federal contractors and subcontractors will be required to begin using the E-Verify* system starting May 21, 2009. The new rule implements Executive Order 12989, as amended by President George W. Bush on June 6, 2008, directing Federal agencies to require that Federal contractors agree to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their employees. The amended Executive Order reinforces the policy, first announced in 1996, that the Federal government does business with companies that have a legal workforce. *E-Verify (formerly the Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program) is an online system operated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Participating employers can check the work status of new hires online by comparing information from an employee's I-9 form against SSA and Department of Homeland Security databases. More than 87,000 employers are enrolled in the program, with over 6.5 million queries run so far in fiscal year 2008. E-Verify is free and voluntary, and has been described as the best means available for determining employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. To read more about E-Verify, visit the Homeland Security website at: http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1213039922523.shtm
A. Once individuals are sent the e-mail giving them the option to fill in their PII on the secure portal on their own, they have a week to complete the task. They need to provide their PII before sponsorship can be completed. If they don’t complete this within a week, the task is referred back to the initiating AO/AT. Asking the individual to fill in their PII themselves or doing it yourself is up to you. Both are equally acceptable. However, you should NOT fill in the individual’s PII until you have their completed and signed HHS 745. Remember, the paper version of the HHS 745 does not include the fields for Lawful Permanent Resident and Alien Registration Number. AOs can help their applicants avoid making an unnecessary trip to DIS by making sure they include the additional information about their immigration status (when applicable). Once AOs have all the information, they can update their applicants’ NED records accurately. The paper HHS 745 form should be sent securely to DPSAC (Bg.31/Rm.1B03), Attn: Personnel Security. Q: Can I be processed for an ID Badge before I report for my first day of work? A: Yes, in fact, DPSAC encourages AOs/ATs to work with applicants in advance of their first work day to get a head start on the fingerprinting and ID Badge issuance process. These processes can begin as soon as you are entered into NED and sponsored for an ID badge. Following sponsorship, DPSAC will determine your investigation requirements and you will be notified to schedule a fingerprinting appointment if applicable. A biweekly e-newsletter from the Office of Research Services, Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (ORS/DPSAC) to keep you informed as NIH rolls out "Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12" (HSPD-12) establishing a common identification standard to better safeguard NIH and its workforce. |
|