USCIS publishes revised Form I-9

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Employers will be able to use this revised version or continue using the Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 N through September 17, 2017. On September 18, employers must use the revised form with a revision date of 07/17/17 N. Employers must continue following existing storage and retention rules for any previously completed Form I-9. The revisions were minor:

• USCIS changed the name of the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices to its new name, Immigrant and Employee Rights Section
• USCIS removed “the end of” from the phrase “the first day of employment”

What is Form I-9?

Form I-9 is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers must ensure proper completion of Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States.

What’s the difference between form I-9 and E-Verify?

The two actually work hand in hand to validate that an employee is authorized to work in this country. Although similar in their role, there are a few key differences:

• I-9 is used by an employer to document an employee’s identity and eligibility to be employed legally in the U.S. E-Verify compares information from an employee’s I-9 with government data (such as Social Security) to confirm the individual is eligible for employment.
• I-9 is mandatory for all employers, while E-Verify is voluntary for most employers (and only mandatory for employers with federal contracts containing a FAR E-Verify clause).
• I-9 is filled out by both the employee and the employer, E-Verify is only handled by the employer.

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