USCIS Releases Revised Form I-9: What to Know

On November 14th, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.

Form I-9 is a mandatory form that must be completed by all newly hired employees within the first three days of employment. The form was established in 1986 in order to establish the identity and employment authorization of new hires.

The primary differences between the outdated Form I-9 and the new Form I-9 lie primarily in the way the form is laid out and arranged. The instructions have been revised, modifications have been made to better explain the form, and the form is now easier to complete on a computer.

Here are the differences listed in an announcement released by the USCIS:

• Section 1 asks for “other last names used” rather than “other names used”
• Section 1 streamlines certification for certain foreign nationals
• Prompts have been added to ensure information is entered correctly
• The employee is now able to enter multiple preparers and translators
• Form now has a dedicated area for including additional information rather than having to add it in the margins
• Form now has a supplemental page for the preparer/translator
• The instructions are now separate from the form (which is standard with other USCIS forms) and include specific instructions for completing each field
• The computer form now provides new hires with enhancements such as drop-down lists 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; when the employer prints the completed form, a quick response (QR) code is automatically generated, which can be read by most QR readers

As you can see, the revised form has primarily been modified for improved utility and function.

While employers can continue using the outdated Form I-9 (dated 03/08/2013), by January 22, 2017, employers may only use the new Form I-9 (dated 11/14/2016).

If you use FingerCheck360 and your employees use self-onboarding, rest assured that the I-9 form generated on the back end will be the newest version of the form so all your documents are up-to-date. For more information about USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov.