The long awaited, revised I-9 Form is now available! The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a revised version of the I-9 Form yesterday. Generally, employers and every paid employee must complete an I-9 Form within 3 days of the employee’s start date, and, in doing so, the employee must present original documents proving his/her identity and work authorization. Employers must start using this new version of the I-9 Form by January 22, 2017. Until then, employers can continue to use the prior version dated March 8, 2013 or the new version.
You can access the new form at: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9
WHAT’S NEW?
The general lay-out of the form has not changed but the revised I-9 Form is now computer-friendly. Changes include drop-down lists where the user just clicks on the arrow to see a drop-down menu and 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. It also streamlines certification for certain foreign nationals and includes additional prompts to help ensure information is entered correctly.
Employers may want to consider having all new employees complete this new form electronically either via computers, laptops, tablets, etc. By having the form completed electronically it is expected that the I-9 Forms will be completed correctly and ensure your organization’s compliance.
NOTE: The types of documents employees can show to prove identity and work authorization remain the same.
Any questions, please contact Lauren Brenner at 617-614-1271 or lbrenner@telamonins.com.
