USCIS Updates Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification

On November 14, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released an updated version of the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification. The new form may be used immediately, and will become the only version accepted by USCIS beginning on January 22, 2017.

The new form version:

  • is designed to be completed electronically by both the employer and employee
  • includes new functionalities, such as drop-down menus
  • is designed to prevent errors, such as missing data, in required fields
  • has been reformatted to separate the form itself from the instructional packet 

Since not all employers have the technical capacity to complete the form electronically with their new hire, USCIS has published two versions of the updated Form I-9:

  • one that can be completed online (here) with Adobe 8 or higher
  • the other can be downloaded and printed (for a copy, click here).  

You can access the most recent version of Form I-9 at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9. Instructions and the new Form I-9 Supplement (for preparers and translators) are available at that website.

If necessary, employers may use the prior version of Form I-9 (version date: March 8, 2013) through January 21, 2017.

However, beginning January 22, 2017, employers must use only the new version of Form I-9 (version date: November 14, 2016). Please note that federal law provides for civil and, in some cases, criminal penalties against employers who do not comply with these strict federal regulations on I-9 completion and employment eligibility verification.  

If you have questions about the revised Form I-9 or your company's Form I-9 employment verification practices in general, please contact our office directly and set up a consultation with our immigration attorneys. We can be reached by telephone at (608) 270-5550 or send us an e-mail.