On July 17, 2017, USCIS released a revised Form I-9 and the Handbook for Employers. You may begin using the new form immediately, but it is not required until September 18, 2017.
Until then, you may continue to use the Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 N. You should also continue to follow existing storage and retention rules for all previously completed Form I-9s.
Here is what HR professionals need to know about the form revisions:
- The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) has changed to its new name: Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER).
- The I-9 instructions were edited to remove “the end of” from the phrase “the first day of employment.” They now read: “Employers or their authorized representative must complete and sign Section 2 within 3 business days of the employee’s first day of employment.”
- The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) is now an acceptable List C document. If you are completing Form I-9 on a computer or using E-Verify, you will now see this option available.
- All certifications of report of birth issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545, Form DS-1350, and Form FS-240) are now combined into selection C #2 in List C.
- All List C documents have been renumbered – except for the Social Security card, which remains number one.
- The Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9 (M-274) was revised to make it easier for users to navigate.
You can find instructions for downloading Form I-9 here.