Another New 1-9 Form

On July 17, 2017, USCIS released a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. If this sounds familiar, it is. The last update to the Form 1-9 was in November of 2016. The easiest way to differentiate the new version from the recent update is to look at the version date in the lower left-hand corner. Employers can continue using the version date of 11/14/16 through September 17, 2017. Starting September 18, employers must begin using the updated Form 1-9 with a revision date of 7/17/17. 

What has changed?

• The name of the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices changed to Immigrant and Employee Rights Section.
• The phrase “the end of” was removed from “the first day of employment.”
• Added: Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) to List C. 
• Combined: all the certifications of report of birth issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545, Form DS-1350, and Form FS-240) into selection C #2 in List C.
• Renumbered List C documents except for Social Security card. 

Best Practice:

A best practice would be for employers to begin using the new edition of the form before September 18, 2017 so they are familiar with the changes and do not continue using the older version past that date. 

Recently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement have increased their focus on compliance through Form I-9 audits and penalties, which means employers will need to focus more than ever on compliance in their hiring processes.