I-9
Employment Eligibility Verification
Form I-9 is how a U.S. employer records that a new employee is who they say they are and is allowed to work in the United States. Federal law requires it for every person hired, citizen or not, after November 6, 1986. The employee fills in one section, the employer fills in another after looking at original documents.
The form is not filed with any government office. USCIS says employers must not mail completed forms to USCIS or ICE. The employer keeps it on file and shows it if DHS, the Department of Labor or the Justice Department asks to inspect it.
This matters on your first day of a new job, and it matters again if your work permit expires and your employer has to check it a second time.
The employee gives their legal name, address and date of birth, then picks one of four citizenship or immigration statuses. Providing a Social Security number is voluntary unless the employer uses E-Verify.
The employer records the documents the employee presented, the start date, and signs the certification. A box is checked if an alternative document examination procedure authorized by DHS was used.
List A shows identity and work authorization together. List B shows identity only and List C shows work authorization only. The employee chooses what to present.
Completed by each person who helped the employee with Section 1.
Used to record a new document when authorization expires, a name change, or a rehire. The earlier version of this was called Section 3.
You can fill it in after you accept the job offer, but not before. Enter your current legal name, address and date of birth. Leave fields that do not apply blank.
Citizen of the United States, noncitizen national, lawful permanent resident, or alien authorized to work. Lawful permanent residents enter their 7 to 9 digit USCIS number. People authorized to work enter an expiration date or N/A, plus an A-Number, an I-94 number or a foreign passport number with the country.
Date it the day you sign. Do not back-date it.
Present original, unexpired documents: one from List A, or one from List B plus one from List C. Your employer cannot tell you which ones to use and cannot demand proof of the answers in Section 1.
Check Section 1 for errors or gaps. The employee corrects, initials and dates any fix. Then record the document title, issuing authority, number and expiration date.
You complete Section 2 within three business days after the first day of work. For a job under three business days, do it no later than the first day. You may use this page to fill the form online free, then print and sign.
You get the real form, filled in a browser tab, with nothing standing between you and the finished PDF.
Employee: Section 1 by the first day of employment. Employer: Section 2 within three business days after that day. If someone starts on Monday, documents are due by Thursday.
Nowhere. Do not mail it to USCIS or ICE. The employer keeps it with any photocopies of documents.
For as long as the person works there. After employment ends, the later of one year after the end date or three years after the first day of employment. Recruiters and referrers for a fee keep it three years after the first day.
The employee must enter a Social Security number in Section 1, and any List B document must have a photograph.
USCIS refers to Form G-1055 for the fee information. Check that you are using the 01/20/25 edition, since USCIS posts the current one at uscis.gov/i-9.
Asking for specific documents, rejecting a document because its expiration date is in the future, photocopying a document and keeping only the copy, and leaving Section 2 incomplete past the deadline. Employers can face penalties for paperwork errors and for discrimination.
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No. The instructions say employers must not send completed forms to USCIS or ICE. The employer retains them.
No. You choose from the Lists of Acceptable Documents. The form's anti-discrimination notice says employers cannot specify the documents.
It is voluntary unless your employer participates in E-Verify. Do not enter an ITIN in that field.
In certain cases an acceptable receipt for a List A, B or C document can be presented. The M-274 Handbook for Employers explains the rules.
Both sections are due earlier. The employer completes Section 2 no later than the first day of employment.
