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New Revisions to Form I-9

7/14/2017
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Late yesterday, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would release a new Form I-9 and accompanying instruction handbook (M-274) on July 17th. The release of the new Form comes on the heels of the current I-9, which just took effect on January 22nd. Employers will only have until September 17th to implement the updated Form I-9.  
 
The significant changes to the I-9 are not within the Form itself, but within the Lists of Acceptable Documents. List C is getting a major overhaul, with every item being affected except for the social security card. This is due to the addition of a new acceptable document: the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240). Previously, employers were only able to accept Forms FS-545 and DS-1350 for Form I-9 purposes. Employers will need to re-familiarize themselves with List C to ensure proper Form I-9 completion, as well as continued non-discriminatory hiring practices.
 
Starting September 18th, employers will face fines and penalties for continuing to use older versions of the Form. I-9 Audits are on the rise, and employers can expect audits will continue to increase to ensure employers are using the new Form as mandated. Non-compliant companies will be subject to the current U.S. Department of Justice increased fee schedule, which was previously discussed in our August 23rd bLAWg post. Employers are encouraged to seek I-9 training to verify Forms are being properly completed and maintained. Internal audits can also help to reduce fines before the government auditor comes knocking.
 
GoffWilson has extensive experience with Form I-9 training workshops and audit compliance services. Our next scheduled training will take place in September 2017 in Concord, NH. Contact our office today to sign up, or if you would like more information on an internal I-9 audit for your organization. We look forward to hearing from you!
Filed under:Form I-9 Compliance, Immigration Law