The Newly Updated I-9 Form is Finally (Almost) Here!

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) just announced a new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. 

Read on for the highlights from a recent public notice, which also summarizes the changes to the Form:

Employers must use Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization of their employees. USCIS made significant changes to the form and its instructions, including a checkbox to indicate that an employee’s Form I-9 documentation was examined using a DHS-authorized alternative procedure. This Notice contains the dates of the prior version and the new version of Form I-9 that employers may use, as well as the date when the prior version will become obsolete.

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, with a version date of “(Rev. 08/01/23)” is available for use beginning August 1, 2023. The prior version of Form I-9 (Rev. 10/21/19) continues to be effective through October 31, 2023.

The newly revised Form I-9:

• Reduces Sections 1 and 2 to a single-sided sheet;
• Is designed to be a fillable form on tablets and mobile devices;
• Moves the Section 1 Preparer/Translator Certification area to a separate, standalone supplement that employers can provide to employees when necessary;
• Moves Section 3, Reverification and Rehire, to a standalone supplement that employers can print if or when rehire occurs or re-verification is required;
• Revises the Lists of Acceptable Documents page to include some acceptable receipts as well as guidance and links to information on automatic extensions of employment authorization documentation;
• Reduces Form instructions from 15 pages to 8 pages; and
• Includes a checkbox allowing employers to indicate they examined Form I-9 documentation remotely under a DHS-authorized alternative procedure rather than via physical examination.

Be sure to update your onboarding paperwork with the new Form I-9 starting August 1, 2023, available on the USCIS website. If you need a new hire packet with all the required documents for hiring an employee in California, visit the CEA store.

TIP: Don’t forget, if you have been conducting remote verification and you do not use e-Verify, you must verify those employees’ documents in person no later than August 30. More information is available on our blog.