New I-9 Form as of February 2, 2009

UPDATE 2/2/09: Please see this post regarding the 2/2/09 I-9. It has been delayed by 60 days to April 3 and employers could incur civil penalties if they use the 2/2 form before April 3.
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New I-9 Rules for 2009! Beginning February 2, 2009, employees can no longer use expired identification to establish their identity or credentials to work in the U.S.

From SHRM

:In addition to the interim final rule narrowing the list of identity documents employers can accept from new hires, it also directs that expired documents are no longer acceptable forms of identification, USCIS says. “An expansive document list [that includes expired documents] makes it more difficult for employers to verify valid and acceptable forms and single out false documents compromising the effectiveness and security of the Form I-9 process,” USCIS says.

“Expired documents are prone to fraudulent use in the Form I-9 process by aliens seeking unauthorized employment,” USCIS says. Expired documents have made it into the hands of counterfeiters who will place an unauthorized alien’s photograph and other identifying information on the document, which the unauthorized aliens use to obtain employment, the agency says. Therefore, establishing a requirement that all documents must be unexpired closes that loophole and “sets a bright-line standard for U.S. employers,” the USCIS says. Moreover, requiring unexpired identity credentials respects the limits placed on the document by the issuing authorities and increases the “likelihood that such documents will contain up-to-date security features that will make them less vulnerable to counterfeiting and fraud,” USCIS says.

There are also new documents added to verify an employee’s eligibility. Again, from SHRM:

The interim final rule adds new documents that meet Form I-9 requirements for its three list categories. Those documents are foreign passports containing the I-551 permanent residence notation printed on a machine-readable immigrant visa; passports and certain other documents for citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and the new U.S. Passport Card.

Form I-9’s three list categories of acceptable documents, either alone or in combinations, to establish identity and employment authorization are categorized under lists A, B and C. The identity and work eligibility documents acceptable under each list are:

• List A—documents that establish both identity and employment authorization such as a U.S. passport, U.S. Form I-551, “Permanent Resident Card” and U.S. Form I-766, “Employment Authorization Document.”

• List B—documents that establish only identity such as a state-issued driver’s license or identification card.

• List C—documents that establish only employment authorization such as a state-issued birth certificate or Social Security card.

You can find the new form here.

7 Replies to “New I-9 Form as of February 2, 2009”

  1. I read your posting on http://hrlori.com/new-i-9-form-as-of-february-2-2009/ regarding the new 2009 I-9 form. I clicked where it says, you can find the new form here. I pulled up the pdf i-9 form and the expiration date is 6/30/09 and the date of the I-9 form is dated 6/5/07. I was browsing on-line some more and I found this I-9 form on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services with expiration date of 6/30/09 but the i-9 is dated 2/2/09. http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-9_IFR_02-02-09.pdf

    We should be using the one dated 2/2/09 correct?

  2. Can you tell me if there is a difference between the Current List for SS card and the updated list? The wording is slightly different yet I believe they say the same thing.

  3. Lori – is there a grace period for compliance? We currently use an electronic version through our technology vendor and they will not have the new version in their system until next week.

    Thank you!

  4. Are current employees that are US citizens required to reverify by submitting unexpired documents or is this for non US citizens?

    1. No, this form should just be used for moving forward with new hires and with current employees whose I-9’s are coming up for renewal.

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