Revised I-9 forms are easy with the onboarding process

Calling all business owners! We have a friendly reminder about I-9 forms: The long-used, older I-9 employment verification form will no longer be accepted after Oct. 31, 2023. The revised form, made available in August in your Hiring dashboard, replaces it.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also maintains that forms must remain on file for as long as the employee works for your business. And it remains the employer’s responsibility to complete their part of the I-9 verification.

Fingercheck can assist by having the employee complete their portion of the I-9 in the onboarding process. 💪

Highlights of the new form:

• Form I-9 can be completed on tablets and mobile devices and be easily downloaded,
• The List of Acceptable Documents has been expanded, and
• A new Alternative Verification has been added, E-Verify.

What does this mean for onboarding? Employers must use the form dated 08/01/2023 to prevent penalties by Nov. 1, 2023.  All new hires will be required to complete the updated I-9 document.

And, if you’re a Fingercheck customer, you’re already set up for success. We’ve included it with Small Business Starter, Fingercheck 360 and Fingercheck 360 Plus.

What is Form I-9?

The I-9 form is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of those hired for employment in the United States. According to USCIS, all U.S. employers must properly complete the form for every employee they hire for U.S.-based jobs, regardless of residency status. Employees must also complete the form. 

Once the I-9 form has been completed, employers must keep the form on file for as long as the employee is working and then for a required period after termination of employment. That date is three years from the date of hire or one year from the date of termination. 

Employers must make sure that the forms are available for inspection by officers from the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice or Labor.

Yes, it’s a simple form, but if you don’t follow the law, you might face criminal or civil penalties, according to the DHS.

What’s new with this form?

The USCIS has made these changes designed to improve the form. Among the revisions is a checkbox employers enrolled in E-Verify can use to indicate they remotely examined identity and employment authorization documents under an alternative procedure authorized by DHS.

The IRS made several other changes. You can review those here.

Onboarding cuts down on the hassles

If you’re using our Onboarding solution, there’s no need to worry. Your new hires can still complete their I-9 forms from their mobile devices, including uploading documents. You’ll need to handle your portion of the form, that hasn’t changed. And you’ll need to store any documents. But Fingercheck does that for you, too. 

Are you ready to see how Fingercheck saves you time? Contact us today!