Begin Using New I-9 Form Immediately

Created on May 22, 2013

On March 8, 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a new Form I-9. As of May 7, 2013, employers were required to begin using the new form for all newly hired employees.

The new I-9 form itself is now two (2) pages long, and the instructions have increased to six (6) pages. Yes, you must print all eight (8) pages out for your new employees. The following are some good tips to remember:

Section 1

• Must be completed by the employee on day one of employment. Employees must complete and sign Section 1 no later than the first day of employment but not before accepting a job offer.
• E-mail and phone number are optional. The new Section 1 includes boxes for the employee's e-mail address and phone number. Employees who choose not to provide the information should write "N/A" in the box.

Section 2

• Must be completed by the employer within 3 business days of the start of the employee's employment.
• New field: first day of employment. Employers completing Section 2 must indicate the employee's first day of employment. This date should match the employee's signature date in Section 1.
• Employer cannot specify documents. Specific documents cannot be required by the employer. Employee must present one document from List A, OR documents from both List B and List C. The List of Acceptable Documents must be made available to employees.
• Expired documents are not acceptable.
• Employers must physically examine the documents. The employer representative who examines the documents must be the same person who signs Section Photo copies of documents are not acceptable.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q.  Are Employers required to make photo copies of the presented documents?
A.  No. While not required, if copies are made, they must be made for ALL presented documents for each employee. At CEA, we recommend making copies of all documents.

Q.  Should I conduct my own I-9 audit?
A.  Absolutely! Not sure how?
Join us for a one hour webinar "I-9's and E-Verify" on Wednesday, May 29th, from Noon to 1:00pm to learn more about I-9 forms, frequently asked questions, and how to conduct your own I-9 audit.  Register Here