New Developments on Verifying Employment Eligibility
by
Lisa Guerin, J.D.
Learn the new rules for Form I-9, which employers must complete to verify that new hires are authorized to work in the United States.
When you hire an employee, you must verify his or her identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Employers fulfill this requirement by completing Form I-9 within three days after an employee is hired. The employee must fill in his or her name, address, birth date, and Social Security number. The employer then certifies that the employee has presented documents confirming his or her identity and authorization to work in the U.S., and that these documents appear to be genuine. (For more information on Form I-9 and instructions for completing the form, go to the website of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, www.uscis.gov.)
Employers have been required to complete I-9 forms for the last 20 years. In the past year or so, however, the Department of Homeland Security -- the federal government agency now in charge of immigration issues, among other things -- has taken steps to make compliance easier for employers, by:
- allowing employers to verify work authorization online
- allowing employers to store I-9 forms electronically, and
- telling employers what to do if they learn that the information provided by the employee does not match information on file with the government.
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