By: Dale Prosch, CPA
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has issued a new version of Form I-9, Employment Verification Form. The new version of the form must be used by employers for all new hires and reverifications beginning Feb. 2, 2009. The biggest difference between the Feb. 2, 2009 version of Form I-9 and the previous version is that all documents presented during the verification process must be unexpired. On the back of the Form I-9 are three lists of acceptable documents for employment eligibility verification. List A includes those documents that establish both identity and work eligibility. List B documents are used to verify the identity of the individual. List C documents verify an individual’s eligibility to work in the United States. The following two documents have been added to List A:
(1) A foreign passport that contains a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa.
(2) A passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with a valid Form I-94 or Form I-94A indicating nonimmigrant admission under the Compact of Free Association between the U.S. and the FSM or RMI.
The following three documents have been removed from List A:
(1) Form I-668, Temporary Resident Card
(2) Form I-668A, Employment Authorization Card
(3)Form I-668B, Employment Authorization Card
Prior to February 2nd, employers may use the version of Form I-9 dated June 5, 2007. Employers who continue to use the June 5, 2007 edition of Form I-9 on or after February 2nd may be subject to civil money penalties.