USCIS released its new M-274, Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9, also known as I-9 Handbook. The handbook provides employers with guidance on how to complete and retain the Form I-9. 

This updated version contains expanded information on properly completing the most recent edition of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, which became effective May 1, 2020. It also provides updates on policy changes.

Below we provide a summary of the main updates to the I-9 Handbook. 

What are the main updates to the Handbook?

The main updates and clarifications in the Handbook include the below:

• Section 2.0: Clarified who can serve as an authorized representative. This update becomes more relevant with our increasing remote hires and work locations.
  

• Sections 4.4 and 6.4.2: Clarified that employers should enter the expiration date changes based on automatic extensions of documents in the Additional Information field in Section 2.
  
  It eliminated instructions to have the employee cross out and initial information in the “Alien authorized to work until” expiration date field in Section 1. These changes were made “to ensure greater legibility during Form I-9 inspections”.
  
  As mentioned before, employees who apply to extend their EADs are automatically granted 180-day extensions.

• Section 6.4.2: Revised cap-gap extension document requirements. Employers will enter the receipt number from Form I-797C, Notice of Action as the employee’s Document Number in Section 2. Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, is no longer required.

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