New Form I-9 extension opens up more time for training

02/13/09

On February 2, 2009, every business across the U.S. was scheduled and required to start using the newly updated Form I-9. But in an unexpected move, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended another comment period and pushed back the scheduled update by two months and told businesses to keep using the old form. The effective date of the new Form I-9 is April 3, 2009.

While the change caused widespread confusion and frustration among hiring manager and human resource departments, there was one positive note to come out of the Form I-9 retract. Businesses now have more time to ensure their organization is in compliance and that their employees are trained on the new changes to the Employment Eligibility Verification process.

The new I-9 form reflects several changes to the verification process, including new employment verification guidelines and a redefined list of acceptable proof of identification documents. It is every employer’s responsibility to make sure all of their employees involved in the hiring process are trained on the latest changes to the new document.

The new Form I-9 includes several modifications that you should cover in your Form I-9 compliance training, including:

• Using expired documents as proof of identification or work authorization is no longer acceptable.
• Three documents were eliminated from List A of the List of Acceptable Documents: Temporary Resident Card, and older versions of the Employment Authorization Card/Document.
• Foreign passports with machine-readable visas for certain citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) were added to List A.
• The new U.S. Passport card was added to the list of acceptable employment eligibility verification documents.
• Revisions to the employee attestation section of the Form I-9.

Learn more about details of the recent changes in our New Form I-9 Q & A.