The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has set April 3 as the final deadline for complying with the new I-9 regulations. Here’s a run-through of the major rules to make sure you’re set.
The bulk of the changes deal with Section 2, the employer portion of the Form I-9, and the List of Acceptable Documents. When the new I-9 goes into effect, only unexpired documents will be acceptable for verification of legal work status.
The new List of Acceptable Documents includes three passport-related documents on List A:
- the U.S. Passport Card
- a foreign passport notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa that is pre-printed with a temporary I-551 notation (confirmation of legal permanent residence status), and
- passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with a valid Form I-94 demonstrating legal status under the Compact of Free Association with the United States.
Note: The new I-9, the Department of Homeland Security also published a final rule in the Federal Register stating that a military identification card issued by the Armed Forces is acceptable as a List A document evidencing both identity and employment authorization only if the employer is the U.S. military and the Form I-9 is completed in the context of military enlistment. No other employer may accept a military identification card as a List A document. However, the military identification card is acceptable as a List B document evidencing identity with respect to employment by private and public employers alike.
To get a full picture of the changes and requirements, go to the the Web site of the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and download updated M-274 Handbook for Employers, which describes the new I-9’s changes and requirements and explains the E-Verify program. You can also download the new I-9 form and instructions.
