Human Resource & Payroll Services And Solutions - Houston, Dallas, Austin - Texas www.hrp.net. The latest version of the Form I-9 was released on March 8. While there is some leeway, use of the new forms will soon be mandatory. Keep reading to find out about the changes and reminders of your responsibilities.
2. A new I-9 Form -- which is the document employers use to verify the
identity and eligibility of employees hired in the United States -- has been
issued by the Department of Homeland Security. You can obtain forms now
and should begin using them soon. However, you may continue to use the
old forms a bit longer. Just be sure to have a supply of the new version on
hand, because you must begin using them no later than May 7, 2013.
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3. Here is a press release providing more details from the federal
government on this important issue:
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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a
revised Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 for use.
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All employers are required to complete a Form I-9 for each employee
hired in the United States.
Improvements to Form I-9 include new fields, reformatting to reduce
errors, and clearer instructions to both employees and employers. The
Department of Homeland Security has published a Notice in the Federal
Register informing employers of the new Form I-9.
4. Effective March 8, 2013:
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Employers should begin using the newly revised Form I-9 (Rev.
03/08/13)N for all new hires and reverifications.
Employers may continue to use previously accepted revisions
(Rev.02/02/09)N and (Rev. 08/07/09) Y until May 7, 2013.
After May 7, 2013, employers must only use Form I-9 (Rev. 03/08/13)N.
The revision date of the form is printed on the lower left corner of the I-9.
5. What are the Changes?
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Previously the Form I-9 was one page. Now, it is two.
Certain data fields have been added to Section 1, including fields for the
employee's passport information, if a passport is presented.
Employees now have the option to also provide their contact information
(e-mail address and phone number), which could be used by the
Department of Homeland Security if there is a mismatch of information
between their records and the Social Security Administration's records.
Section 2 looks different, but the information has not changed. It does
contain points for employers to remember, such as those below.
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6. A Few Reminders for Employers
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The Department of Homeland Security wants employers to know they
should not fill out new I-9 forms for current employees if there is already
a properly completed form on file.
Also, when you present a new hire with a Form I-9 (which includes a list of
acceptable documents for proving employment eligibility) you may not
request specific documents. The list is available for employees to select
the documents they will present.
However, do not accept expired documents or copies of originals.
Documents must be current, and original. You are responsible to inspect
all documents presented to determine if they appear genuine. An
employee who states that an original document is unavailable because it
has been lost, stolen, or damaged can present instead a receipt showing
that he or she has applied for an original document. That employee then
has 90 days to receive and present you with the original.
7. In addition:
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There is no requirement for the employer to make or keep copies of the
documents presented. If you do choose to make copies, you should
apply this policy consistently for all employees.
You can download and print the new forms (see sidebar) and the six
pages of instructions. It is important that you make the instructions
available to employees. But also, take the time to review the
instructions yourself.
The I-9 Form itself is two pages. Employees must complete Section 1 no
later than the first day of employment. As the employer, you must
complete Section 2 no later than three business days from the
employee's first day of employment. For an employee who begins
working on a Monday, he or she must fill out Section 1 before the end
of that day, and you must fill out Section 2 no later than the following
Thursday.
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8. As before, employers are required to maintain Forms I-9 for as long as
the employee remains with the company and for the required retention
period after employment terminates (three years from the date of hire
or one year from the date employment ended, whichever is later).
These forms must be made available for inspection upon request by
appropriate federal authorities. Failure to properly maintain these
forms could result in civil money penalties.
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Contact your payroll or HR
professional if you have additional
questions about your Form I-9
responsibilities.
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