I9 Form

When you hire a new employee, there are many administrative tasks that must be completed before they start. One of the most important is filling out Form I-9. This government form requires workers to provide documents proving they’re eligible to work in the United States. As a small business owner, you have obligations to ensure your employees complete the form correctly and timely. This can be difficult, especially if you don’t have HR support in place.

New hires are a big deal for any business, and bringing them on board comes with a lot of administrative work. From learning their responsibilities to integrating them into your company’s systems, there are many tasks to tackle during onboarding. However, one of the most important tasks is ensuring that an employee has the legal right to work in the United States. This can be accomplished through the I-9 Form, which is a required document that all employers must complete for every employee they hire.

What Information is Needed for the I-9 Form?

As an employer, you must ensure that Form I-9 is completed correctly by each new employee. To do so, you must physically inspect each piece of documentation to make sure it meets the requirements. If you are an E-Verify employer, you may use the optional alternative procedure to remotely examine documentation instead of visiting the office. If you do so, be sure to include a note in Section 3 of the form.

The most common type of document provided is a US passport, which fulfills both the identity and employment authorization requirements. If you are not an E-Verify employer, you will need to use one document that establishes identity (listed in List B) and another that establishes employment authorization (listed in List C). There are 25 documents that are acceptable for both purposes. For more information on which documents are eligible, see the I-9 instructions.

In addition, you will need to enter the employee’s first day of employment. This should be entered in the format mm/dd/yyyy. You will also need to complete Supplement B when an employee is rehired or reverified, and you must provide the date of hire as well as the employee’s name. The I-9 instructions contain more details on when to use Supplement B, and you can also find more guidance on rehiring and reverification at the USCIS website. You must retain a copy of the completed I-9 for as long as the employee works for you and for the required retention period after the termination of the individual’s employment.

How to Fill Out I-9 Form?

In addition to the basic form itself, additional instructions should be reviewed by both employer and employee when completing the Form I-9. The Instructions include information on which types of documents are acceptable, how to fill out the Form I-9 properly, and how to make a correction.

• The first section of the I-9 Form asks employees to provide their name, date of birth, and other identifying information. It also asks them to select whether they are a citizen of the United States, a noncitizen national of the United States, or an alien authorized to work in the United States.
• In the second part of the I-9 Form, employees must list the documents they have brought to verify their identity and employment authorization. This includes both List A and List C documents, which include things like a passport, driver’s license, or school ID card with a photograph. Employees should include the title, issuing authority, number, and expiration date of each document they bring.
• The final section of the I-9 Form is a certification from the employer or authorized representative. This person must sign and date the box to certify that they examined the documents the employee presented. In addition, the employer must provide their title, last name, first name, and the name of their business or organization.

I-9 Form Update

The I-9 form was updated in 2023. The revisions reflect the reversion to pre-pandemic rules and include a checkbox for employers that participate in E-Verify to use an alternative procedure that allows remote examination of employees’ document submissions. The update also adds Supplement B, which must be used to record an employee’s name change or an amendment to the list of approved documents. Employers must keep copies of all I-9 forms for as long as the employee works and for a period after employment ends. Failure to follow the I-9 form requirements can result in penalties.

In addition to the basic form itself, additional instructions should be reviewed by both employer and employee when completing the Form I-9. The Instructions include information on which types of documents are acceptable, how to properly fill out the form, and how to make a correction.

The updated version of the Form I-9 includes several changes to help streamline the process and reduce burden on both employers and employees. It has a simplified layout, removed the abbreviations chart, and moved some fields from Section 1 to Supplement A. It also adds a checkbox that employers enrolled in E-Verify can use to indicate that their employees’ Form I-9 documentation was examined using an alternative procedure authorized by DHS.

In Section 2 of the Form I-9, employers must review and record the information on each document presented by an employee to establish their identity and employment authorization. For each list A or list C document, the following information should be recorded: Document Title (if any): Enter the name of the document in this field. Document Number: Enter the number of the list A or list C document in this field. Expiration Date (if any): Enter the date in a 2-digit month, 2-digit day, and 4-digit year format.