Now available for use

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced the availability of the new version of Form I-9 (Rev. 10/21/2019) Employment Eligibility Verification. Employers are encouraged to use the new form beginning January 31, 2020, but the old version (Rev. 07/17/2017 N) may be used through the end of April 30. The grace period is meant to provide time for employers to make needed changes to their processes. On May 1 using the new form is mandatory, and employers who continue to use the old form after that may be subject to penalties.

Who must complete Form I-9?

As stated on the USCIS website, employers must use the form when hiring both citizens and non-citizens to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Both the employer and employee must complete the form.

According the Jan. 31, 2020 advance notice, employers should not complete the new Form I-9 for employees with a properly completed I-9 on file unless they need reverification. Doing so may violate an anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Changes in Form I-9

The advance notice lists these changes found in the new I-9. This minor change is visible only in the fillable, computer version:

• Added Eswatini and North Macedonia to the Country of Issuance field (Section 1) and the foreign passport issuing authority field (Section 2).

The remaining changes are found in the form instructions:

• Clarified who can act as an authorized representative for the employer. In a recent SHRM Article, John Fay, the president of LawLogix, explains that this change was a response to employers who had difficulty completing I-9s for remotely hired workers and who needed more specific instructions.
• Changed USCIS website addresses
• Provided acceptable-document clarifications
• Changed process for requesting the paper Form I-9
• Updated the DHS Privacy Notice

Additional information

You can download the form and find additional information on the USCIS I-9 website, USCIS I-9 Central, or you can call the USCIS Contact Center at 800.375.5283.

We’d like to help

Sage HRMS HR Actions Form I-9 Users

If you already use Sage HRMS HR Actions I-9, be assured that Delphia has updated paperless I-9 in this product, providing what you need to stay compliant.

Interested in streamlining your Form I-9 processes?

A 61+ page manual for filling out a 3-page form attests to the fact that mistakes are easy to make. Some common ones?

• Employees forgetting to sign form or include birthdate
• Preparers or translators not completing the separate certification areas or not entering their name, address, or signature in applicable certification box
• Employers forgetting to enter business title, name, or address, or the date employment began

These are just a few, but you can see, they are easy to make. (For a list of common mistakes, visit this webpage.)

Electronic forms reduce errors

Our Sage HRMS HR Actions Form I-9 will lead you step-by-step as you complete the form with its hover help text providing information for each field. And, after the form is finished, our product helps ensure compliance by automatically checking the document and flagging the majority of improper entries. For example, simple mistakes like forgetting to check a required box or entering the date of completion in an incorrect format will be flagged so you can correct them before saving the document. As small as such mistakes seem, they can add up to substantial fines.

Find out more

If you are not familiar with Sage HRMS HR Actions or the many plugins that help move you into a paper-lite HR, visit our website for more information on Sage HRMS HR Actions and Sage HRMS HR Actions Form I-9. You can also use fill out our Contact Product Sales form or give us a call at 888.421.2004. We’re happy to listen and see if our products meet your needs.