New I-9 Form. Did you meet the deadline?

No one likes to hear the word "audit". However, like Mondays, they always seem to come around eventually. Make sure your records are flawless by reviewing these newly released guidelines from USCIS regarding the I-9 form.

USCIS released a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, on July 17. Effective Sept. 18, employers must use the revised form with a revision date of 07/17/17 N at the bottom. Employers must continue following existing storage and retention rules for any previously completed Form I-9. There were some minor changes to verbiage on the form. But the more significant changes relate to the List of Acceptable Documents.

Revisions related to the List of Acceptable Documents on Form I-9:

• The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) was added to List C. Employers completing Form I-9 on a computer will be able to select Form FS-240 from the drop-down menus available in List C of Sections 2 and 3. E-Verify users will also be able to select Form FS-240 when creating a case for an employee who has presented this document for Form I-9.
• All the certifications of report of birth issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545, Form DS-1350, and Form FS-240) were combined into selection C #2 in List C.
• All List C documents except the Social Security card were renumbered. For example, the employment authorization document issued by the Department of Homeland Security on List C changed from List C #8 to List C #7.

All these changes are in the revised Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9 (M-274), which is also easier for users to navigate than before. Please visit the USCIS website for more details.

We know it's important to you to maintain a legal workforce. While the changes to the new I-9 form are minimal, failure to comply effective with the September 18th implementation date can result in significant fines for your organization. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced increases in fines for Form I-9 violations last year. So make sure all employees with hiring responsibilities in your company have scrapped the old form and are using the new one. 

Please reach out to you Innovative Outsourcing Account Manager if you need additional information or if you have any current staffing need. We are hear to help you.