Ease of Use in the New I-9 Form

The I-9 Form is used by employers to authorize individuals for employment in the United States. Employers will be required to use the updated I-9 Form beginning November 1, 2023, but may use the updated form before then.

The I-9 form was updated for better ease of use for employers and employees. Now, it is a fillable form which can be filled out online and on mobile devices. When filling out Section 1, employees no longer need to write “N/A” in unused fields. While employers and employees were not penalized if the I-9 Form failed to include “N/A,” the change will still alleviate pressure to complete that extra step.

The form has also been reorganized so Section 2 is included on the first page with Section 1. Section 3, “Reverification and Rehires” has been removed from the form and renamed to “Supplement B” and can be found separately. Similar to Section 3, the “Preparer/Translator Certification” can also be found separately and is entitled “Supplement A.” It is important to remember, however, to fill out Supplement A and B if need be, since they are no longer provided within the I-9 form itself. The form also indicates acceptable receipts underneath “Acceptable Documents” which may take place of acceptable documents for a limited period of time. The instructions to fill out the form have also been reduced and refined, going from 15 pages, to a far more reasonable, 8 pages. Furthermore, employers may now check off a box to indicate they examined the employee’s background through E-Verify. Lastly, the forms language has been modified, changing the term “alien” to “noncitizen.” Overall, the I-9 Form widely remains the same, with a few minor changes to ensure easier use and more inclusive language.

The new edition of the I-9 Form can be found here: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9