U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS") issued a new employment verification I-9 form on November 7, 2007. Employers are required to complete a Form I-9 for all new employees hired in the United States. USCIS encourages all employers to start using the revised Form I-9 immediately. The form will become effective once it is published in the Federal Register, which we expect to occur sometime during the week of November 12th.
The revision removes five documents for proof of both identity and employment eligibility. They include: Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-570); Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570); Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-151); the unexpired Reentry Permit (Form I-327); and the unexpired Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571). According to USCIS, the forms were removed because they lack features to help deter counterfeiting, tampering and fraud.
Furthermore, the most recent version of the Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766) was added to List A of the List of Acceptable Documents on the revised form. The revised list now includes: a U.S. passport (unexpired or expired); a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551); an unexpired foreign passport with a temporary I-551 stamp; an unexpired Employment Authorization Document that contains a photograph (Form I-766, I-688, I-688A, or I-688B) and an unexpired foreign passport with an unexpired Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) for nonimmigrant aliens authorized to work for a specific employer.
The revised Form I-9 and the "Handbook for Employers, Instructions for Completing the I-9" are available online at www.uscis.gov or can be ordered from USCIS by calling 1-800-870-3676.
We will monitor this subject and issue client alerts as new information becomes available. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding the new Form I-9 or any immigration question, please contact Marcy Stras at 202.861.1676 or e-mail at .
Baker & Hostetler LLP publications are intended to inform our clients and other friends of the Firm about current legal developments of general interest. They should not be construed as legal advice, and readers should not act upon the information contained in these publications without professional counsel. The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you written information about our qualifications and experience. [Florida Rule 4-7.2(d)] © 2007 Baker & Hostetler LLP