What Employers Need to Know About the New I-9 Form

The I-9 Form, used to verify employment eligibility, was updated January 31, 2020, by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Employers should begin using this updated form for new hires as soon as possible but have until April 30, 2020, to transition completely. If employers do not make the transition by this date, they could face fines of up to $2,292 per employee paperwork violation.The new form does not need to be filled out by current employees, only by new hires.

The new instructions on the form clarify the following:

• Who can act as an authorized representative on behalf of the employer
• Acceptable documents for Form I-9
• Updated USCIC website addresses, Department of Homeland Security Privacy Notice, and process for requesting paper Form I-9

There are also some minor changes to the form itself, namely several recent country name changes. These changes are only visible when completing the I-9 form on a computer.

For more information or questions about the updated I-9 Form, please contact a member of Gould & Ratner's Human Resources & Employment Law Practice.