All employers should be reminded that the federal government has issued a new version of the Form I-9 employment eligibility verification form. The new version of the Form I-9 is dated October 21, 2019.
Employers can continue to use the current version of the Form I-9 (the one that is dated July 17, 2017) until April 30, 2020, or they may use the new form. However, on May 1, 2020, employers must use the new form and all previous versions of Form I-9 will be invalid.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) publishes both a paper I-9 Form and an electronic, fillable I-9 Form. As always, all employers with U.S. employees must use the Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired to work in the United States. A Form I-9 must be completed for each person hired for employment in the U.S., including citizens and noncitizens. Employers must retain the completed forms for a designated period and make them available for inspection upon request.
Employers should act swiftly to revise their new hire orientation form packets to ensure proper use of the new I-9 form by April 30, 2020, if not earlier.