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employment verification

By: Peggy Kirk Hall, Monday, October 02nd, 2017

Are you using the correct version of the I-9 Form to verify that your new employees are eligible for employment?  Employers  must now use only the revised July 17, 2017 version of Form I-9 for employment eligibility verification for new hires.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made a few revisions on the July 17, 2017 version of the I-9 Form.  Employers can now accept an individual's Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) as an acceptable document for employment authorization under List C.  The instructions for the new form also reflect the name change for the office that enforces anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.  The office is now called the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section, which replaces the previous Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices.

The current I-9 Form is available here.  USCIS provides helpful resources to assist employers with completing the I-9 Form are here

Posted In: Labor
Tags: Form I-9, employment verification
Comments: 0
By: Peggy Kirk Hall, Thursday, January 19th, 2017

Beginning January 22, 2017, employers must use a new version of Form I-9 for employment eligibility verification of new hires.  The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revised Form I-9  last November and gave employers a short grace period for making the conversion to the new form, dated 11/14/16.  The new form is available on the USCIS website at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9.  

Employers will  notice several improvements to the new I-9:

  • The instructions are now separate from the form and include specific guidance on each section.
  • The form is much more computer-friendly, with drop-down lists, calendars, on screen prompts and instructions for each field, a "start over" button and easy access to full instructions.
  • The employer may now list more than one preparer and translator who assisted in completion of the form.
  • In the first section, the employer must list only "other last names used" rather than "other names used."
  • A new "additional information" box provides space for the employer to note important information for the employer's purposes such as additional documents presented, employee termination dates or form retention dates.

Employers must complete a Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization of every individual hired for employment.  For more information, see our previous post on Form I-9, and visit the USCIS's "I-9 Central" at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central.  

 

Posted In: Labor
Tags: I-9, Form I-9, employment law, employment verification
Comments: 0

Catharine Daniels, Attorney, OSUE Extension Agricultural & Resource Law Program

With the arrival of spring, many agricultural businesses may be looking to hire additional employees. Before putting those new employees to work, employers should take time to ensure a "legal" workforce.  One important step is following the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification process.  And with the recent release of a new Form I-9, close attention to Form I-9 compliance is extremely important.

What is the purpose of Form I-9?  The form aims to verify the identity and employment of every person hired to perform labor or services in return for wages or for anything of value that is given in exchange for labor or services, including food and lodging.

Why worry about Form I-9?  Because correct completion of Form I-9 is both a legal mandate and a legal defense.  Federal law requires every employer to complete an I-9 form upon hiring an employee.    Filling out the form is not optional.  Even if the employer knows the new employee, knows of the employee or knows the employee's family--the employer must do a Form I-9 for the employee.    Once properly completed, a Form I-9 is the employer's defense against a potential claim of knowingly employing an unauthorized worker.

How does an employer complete Form I-9?  Form I-9 compliance requires completion of three sections, as follows:

  • Employers must have every newly hired employee complete Section 1 of the form no later than the first day of work for pay.  Section 1 requests personal employee information such as name, address, e-mail, phone number, date of birth and social security number and requires the employee to attest to his or her citizenship status.
  • No later than the third day of employment, the employer must complete and sign Section 2 of the form. Section 2 requires the employer to physically examine documentation presented by the employee showing identity and employment authorization.    There are three lists of acceptable documents; employees may present one document from List A or a combination of one document from List B and one document from List C.  Examples of documents include U.S. passports, driver's licenses, social security cards and employment authorization from the Department of Homeland Security.
  • Section 3 applies to re-verification and rehires.  An employer must complete Section 3 only if the employee is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and his or her employment authorization documentation has expired.  An employer may complete Section 3 for employees rehired within three years of the date that a Form I-9 was originally completed, or the employer  may choose to complete a new Form I-9 for the rehired employee.

What does an employer do with completed I-9 forms?  An employer must keep all completed  I-9 forms for all current employees and make the forms available to federal officials in the event of an inspection.  An employer must keep I-9 records for a certain period of time after employees stop working.  This period of time varies; the government provides a chart to help employers identify the appropriate period of time.

Are there penalties for non-compliance?  Yes.  An employee may be subject to civil penalties for failing to properly complete, retain or make the I-9 forms available for inspection.

When is the new Form I-9 effective?  On March 8, 2013, a new Form I-9 was released with revisions. The revised Form I-9 is now two pages long, includes expanded instructions, and has new fields for e-mail addresses, phone number, and foreign passport. Employers should be using this revised form now, but may continue to use the previous Form I-9 until May 7, 2013.

The importance of document inspection.   To avoid liability, the employer should properly inspect the employee's documents.   The documents must reasonably appear to be genuine and relate to the person presenting them.  The employer's duty is to verify the documentation; the job of fully "investigating" whether the employee is authorized to work rests with U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement.  If an employee provides a document that does not appear to be genuine or relate to the employee and the employee cannot present other documentation, then the employer may terminate employment.

Avoiding discrimination liability.  Employers should make sure they do not engage in any discriminatory practices when it comes to the Form I-9.  At the pre-hire stage, an employer may not ask an applicant their citizenship, nationality, immigration status, type of work authorization, or green card status. After hiring the employee, an employer may not request a particular document for the employee to provide to complete the Form I-9; it is the employee’s decision as to what documents they will provide. An employer also may not request more documents than what are required by Form I-9.   Such actions by the employer might result in a discrimination claim.

For complete information about I-9 compliance, check out the "Handbook for Employers - Guidance for Completing Form I-9" on the  U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services I-9 Central website.

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