After January 21, 2017, employers are required to use the latest version of the Form I-9, dated 11/14/2016 N.
By way of background, under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, employers are required to complete a Form I-9 for each new employee hired. The purpose of the Form I-9 is to verify the identity of each new employee and ensure that the new employee is authorized to work in the United States. The Form I-9 contains a list of acceptable documents for establishing an employee’s identity and authorization to work. Those documents include a U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card, driver’s license, social security card, and birth certificate, among others. More importantly, federal law requires employers to physically examine each document—with the employee physically present—to determine if the document reasonably appears to be genuine and relates to the employee presenting it.
The changes to the Form I-9 released this November are intended to accomplish two goals: (i) reduce the number of technical errors on the Form I-9; and (ii) make it easier for employers completing the form on their computer as downloaded from the USCIS website.
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