New Version of Form I-9 Required for Employers

All employers are required to obtain from their employees a completed Form W-4 and Form I-9, the latter to confirm that they are eligible to legally work in the U.S. On January 22, 2017, a new version of Form I-9 will officially replace the existing version and previous versions will no longer be accepted for new hires, re-hires and certain existing employees.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the most up-to-date version of the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification in November 2016. Under federal immigration law, employers must maintain a properly completed Form I-9 for all employees hired in the U.S. on or after Nov. 6, 1986.

Revisions to Form I-9

By January 22, employers must use the revised form, which includes a number of changes, including:

• Clarification of the “other names used” field to request only “other last names used” and the numbering of immigration status categories in Section 1
• Additional details regarding the preparer/translator category, including the ability to select multiple preparers/translators
• A designated area to enter additional information that previously needed to be entered as a margin note, such as the auto-extension of an individual’s work-authorized status, where applicable
• A separate page (Page 3) for Section 3 of the Form I-9
• Additional prompts and electronic enhancements, such as drop-down lists and calendars, to facilitate the proper entry of required information

The updated Form I-9, as well as the 2017 Form W-4, should be included in every employee’s personnel file.

Who needs to complete new form?

Primarily, the new version of the Form I-9 should be used for all new hires and rehires (even if they are U.S. citizens and/or permanent residents).  Likewise, current employees who work under certain visas or work permits, may need to re-verify any expired information by completing the new Form I-9 or updating the re-verify section in the latest version.

Employers should refer to the USCIS Employer Handbook for more information about the new update. Contact me or another one of Kaufman Rossin’s professionals if you have questions or need assistance in filing the new Form I-9.