I-9 Central

Federal law requires that every employer* who recruits, refers for a fee, or hires an individual for employment in the U.S. must complete Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Form I-9 will help you verify your employee's identity and employment authorization.

*NOTE: We will refer to both employers and agricultural recruiters and referrers for a fee collectively as "employers" throughout I-9 Central.

DHS Extends Form I-9 Requirement Flexibility (Effective January 1, 2022)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of the flexibility in complying with requirements related to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, due to COVID-19.

This temporary guidance was set to expire Dec. 31, 2021. Because of ongoing precautions related to COVID-19, DHS has extended the Form I-9 requirement flexibility policy until April 30, 2022.

See the original ICE news release from March 20, 2020 for more information on how to obtain, remotely inspect, and retain copies of the identity and employment eligibility documents to complete Section 2 of Form I-9. Please also consult ICE’s guidance for clarification on this provision.

Employers must monitor the DHS and ICE's Workforce Enforcement announcements about when the extensions end and normal operations resume.

E-Verify participants who meet the criteria and choose the remote inspection option should continue to follow current guidance and create cases for their new hires within three business days from the date of hire. Please see COVID-19 webpage for more information.

 

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Decision on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

USCIS is complying with the July 16 order from the U.S. District Court in Texas. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients with a valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD), including an EAD that has been automatically extended, are still permitted to work. See I-9 Central for Completing Form I-9 for Employees with Extended Work Authorization Under DACA.

Latest Headlines

E-Verify Records Disposal
On April 1, 2022, USCIS will dispose of E-Verify records that are more than 10 years old, which are those dated on or before Dec. 31, 2011. E-Verify employers have until March 31, 2022, to download case information from the Historic Records Report if they want to retain information about these E-Verify cases.
DHS Extends Form I-9 Requirement Flexibility (Effective January 1, 2022)
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced an extension of the flexibility in complying with requirements related to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, due to COVID-19.
New Requirements Affecting Form I-9 Completion for Certain Employees
Effective November 12th, 2021, USCIS automatically extended employment authorization for foreign nationals in certain employment eligibility categories who file Form I-765, Application for Employme

Topics

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Form I-9
All U.S. employers must properly complete Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States.
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Preventing Discrimination
We provide information on employee rights and preventing discrimination in the workplace.
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Learning Resources
Explore multimedia content to learn about what the employment eligibility verification process means to you, including your rights, your roles, your employer's responsibilities, and your privacy.
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Handbook for Employers
Read our guidance for completing Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, in the M-274, Handbook for Employers.