The USCIS recently released a revised edition of the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Employers are to use this revised version or continue using Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 through Sept. 17. On Sept. 18, employers must use the revised form with a revision date of 07/17/17. As a reminder, employers must also continue following existing storage and retention rules for any previously completed Form I-9.
The USCIS notes the following changes for Form I-9:
Revisions to the Form I-9 instructions:
- Changed the name of the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices to its new name, Immigrant and Employee Rights Section.
- Removed “the end of” from the phrase “the first day of employment.”
Revisions related to the List of Acceptable Documents on Form I-9:
- Added the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) 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 Section 2 and Section 3. E-Verify users may also select Form FS-240 when creating a case for an employee who has presented this document for Form I-9.
- Combined all the certifications of report of birth issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545, Form DS-1350 and Form FS-240) into selection C#2 in List C.
- Renumbered all List C documents except the Social Security card. For example, the employment authorization document issued by the Department of Homeland Security on List C has changed from List C #8 to List C #7.
According to the USCIS, the above changes are also a part of the revised Handbook for Employers: Guidance for Completing Form I-9 (M-274).
IPS detailed the last revision to the Form I-9 earlier this February. If you have any questions about these recent changes to the I-9 or if you have any general concerns about employee documentation, be sure to contact us.