The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) department recently released a revised “Employment Eligibility Verification” version of Form I-9. The newly revised I-9 form (dated 11/14/2016) must be used beginning Jan. 22, 2017, whereas employers can continue using the older version I-9 form dated 03/08/2013 until then.
So, What Changes are Coming to Form I-9?
Government officials changed the form to reduce errors and enhance the form for computer completion. For instance, some of the changes include:
- New drop-down lists and calendars for entering dates.
- Onscreen instructions for each data field to be filled in.
- The option to enter multiple preparers and translators.
- Additional field to enter additional information for consideration, instead of having to add it to margins.
- Additional page for the preparer/translator.
- Easy to access online instructions.
- Option to clear the form and start from scratch.
- Section 1 now asks for “other last names used” instead of “other names used.”
- Section 1 also streamlines certification for certain foreign nationals.
- Prompts on the online form helps users correctly enter data to cut down on mistakes.
Why Were the Changes Made to Form I-9?
Well, again the changes were made to make the form easier to fill out online on a computer. Additionally, when employers print completed I-9 forms, there’s a “quick-response (QR) code” generated that can be read by all QR readers.
On the new Form I-9 the instructions have essentially been separated from the main form to conform with other USCIS forms, and to enable giving specific online help for each blank field.
The Form I-9 requirements were made law in November 1986, when Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). The IRCA prohibits employers from hiring any individuals, including U.S. born citizens, unless they complete this required identification verification form.
Contact a Los Angeles Immigration Lawyer at the Hanlon Law Group, P.C.
Whether you’re an employer or an undocumented immigrant, we can assist you with any legal matter pertaining to immigration-based employment issues? Don’t chance your future to an administrative office that can’t by law give you legal advice when filling out important documents pertaining to immigration-based worker status. Turn instead to a knowledgeable Los Angeles Immigration Lawyer at the Hanlon Law Group, P.C. For more than 15 years, our lawyers have been successfully serving clients in various types of immigration cases, including those that involve the most basic immigration worker petitions and applications to deportation defense.
To set up an initial consultation to discuss work visas, citizenship, immigration and deportation defense services, contact us today by calling (626) 684-3712 or (866) 227-5527 or by filling out the email form at the upper right-hand side of the screen. Headquartered in Pasadena, we represent clients throughout the Los Angeles area, across the state of California and from around the world.
