Most employers are aware they need to comply with the government's Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) requirements to ensure workers' identities are verified and they are eligible to work in the United States. Compliance can be a time, paperwork, and record retention burden. Recognizing this, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees employee verification and eligibility through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed some simplifications to the form and its handling to ease employer requirements.

The DHS proposal to simplify I-9 requirements for employers and to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act includes the following changes:



• Sections 1 and 2 (Employee Information and Attestation and Employer Review and Verification) will be compressed from two pages to a single page
• Section 3 (Reverification and Rehires) will be expanded to allow three sets of information to be filled in rather than just one set
• Updated list of rules for accepting receipts in place of required documents under certain circumstances, including refugee status
• Form instructions will be reduced to less than half their original length (from 15 to seven pages)
• PDF file enhancements will be removed so documents can be viewed on a wider variety of devices
  

I-9 forms and the documents reviewed in their completion indicate an employer has validated each employee's identity and eligibility to work in the U.S. Employers must keep these documents on file during employment and for a period after, as well. Failure to fully meet I-9 requirements can result in substantial fines and penalties, so using an I-9 documentation management solution can further simplify compliance.

At Employers Reference Source, Inc., we offer screening solutions and other services to help you hire and retain a high-quality workforce. Contact us today to learn more about all of our expert services.