New I-9 Form Available, USCIS Delays Change in List of Acceptable Documents
The new I-9 employment authorization verification form is available here as a PDF. An updated version of the I-9 Handbook for Employers is also expected to be released. The new form reflects the Department of Homeland Security’s amended regulations governing the types of acceptable documents and receipts that employees may present to their employers for employment authorization verification. The interim rule, among other things, requires that all documents presented during the verification process be unexpired, makes adjustments to List A documents, and makes technical updates.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has delayed until April 3, 2009, implementation of the interim rule. USCIS also has reopened the public comment period, until March 4, 2009.
USCIS also announced that more than 100,000 employers have signed up to participate in E-Verify, an online system employers use to verify the work authorization of newly hired employees. USCIS said that employers have run more than two million queries through the system since October 2008.
The new economic stimulus package bill approved by the House of Representatives states that “[n]one of the funds made available in this Act may be used to enter into a contract with an entity that does not participate in the E-verify program.”
The E-Verify notice is available at http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/e-verify100K_8jan09.pdf. The USCIS notice announcing the delay in implementation of the interim rule is available at http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/I-9delay_30jan08.pdf. The interim final rule and an informational copy of the revised I-9 are available for public comment at http://www.regulations.gov.
An E-Verify fact sheet is available at http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/everify_fact_sheet8Jan09.pdf. The House bill is available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:2:./temp/~c1116lrDtW::.
