U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security released the notice of the revised Employment Eligibility Form (Form I-9) to be used with new hires beginning March 8, 2013. They have allowed for a brief grace period, but since the form is available now, it should be utilized.
Some highlights of the new form:
The form is now nine pages instead of five, with six pages of instructions and three pages for the form itself.
The timing for completion remains the same, for both the employee and employer.
There is still a section for a translator.
Employers still cannot specify which documents the employee presents.
Completing the SSN is still voluntary unless the employer utilizes E-Verify.
If the employer chooses to makes copies of the support documentation to keep with the Form I-9, then it must be done for all new hires consistently. Please remember that it is not required that the employer do so and is generally recommended that copies of the documentation not be kept.
Instead of “Maiden Name” this box is now “Other Names Used” and if there have been none, the employee is to write “N/A.”
The form now asks for a phone number and email address, but they are voluntary. The employee should write “N/A” if they choose not to supply this information.
Employers are required to supply the List of Acceptable Documents (page 9) to each new hire, but employers are only required to retain the pages that are completed (pages 7-8).
The new form can be found here.
