As you may know, federal law requires employers to verify the identity and employment authorization of all employees hired in the United States by completing and retaining a Form I-9 for each employee at the time of hire. This requirement applies to both citizens and non-citizens. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has just released a new version of this form, dated November 14, 2016.
Use of the Revised Form I-91Employers may continue using the previous Form I-9 (dated March 8, 2013) through January 21, 2017. However, beginning January 22, 2017, employers MUST use the new version. Employers must retain Form I-9 for a designated period and make it available for inspection by authorized government officers; click here for more information regarding the storage and retention rules.
Noteworthy Changes for Revised Form I-9
- Section 1 now asks the employee to list “other last names used” in Section 1, rather than “other names used.”
- Section 1 certification for certain foreign nationals has been streamlined
- Prompts have been added to ensure information is correctly entered
- Multiple preparers and translators may now be entered
- A supplemental page for the preparer/translator has been added
- Instructions for completing Form I-9 have been separated from the form, and now include specific instructions for completing each field
- Completion of the new Form I-9 on a computer will be aided by enhancements such as drop-down lists, calendars for filling in dates, on-screen instructions for each field, easy access to the full instructions and an option to clear the form and start over.
If you have any questions regarding the revised I-9 or any other employment related issues, please contact us.
If your questions pertain to completion of Form I-9 for your foreign national employees, please contact Lori Geisinger (lgeisinger@outsidegc.com).