I9 Form – Employment Authorization USCIS
Contents
Form I-9 is the Employment Authorization Verification document that every employee working in the United States must file. This form ensures the employee has the valid authorization to work in the United States. All employees regardless of their citizenship or immigration status must file Form I-9 and present documents alongside it to verify their work authorization.
This article will detail everything you need to know about Form I-9, list the accepted documents, and what to do with the copies employees file.
File Form I-9 online
Employees can file the below Form I-9 online through our PDF filler. This way of filing Form I-9 is intended to save employees’ time so that they can furnish copies fast and also electronically by email. This version of Form I-9 is especially convenient if you’re starting a remote job.
Start filing Form I-9 below.
Documents to present with Form I-9
After filing Form I-9 you’ll need to present a series of documents to verify your identity and authorization to work in the United States. You can do this by presenting a single document or two documents; one for identity and another for work authorization.
Here is the complete list of documents to present with Form I-9.
| Identity Only |
|---|
| Driver’s license |
| State ID card |
| School ID card with photograph |
| US Military card |
| Military member’s dependent card |
| Voter’s registration card |
| Canadian driver’s license |
| US Coast Guard merchant mariner card |
| If under 18: School record or report card Day-care or nursery school record Clinic, hospital, or doctor record |
| Work Authorization Only |
|---|
| Original or certified copy of birth certificate |
| Native American tribal document |
| US citizen card |
| Employment authorization document issued by Department of Homeland Security |
| Social Security account number card |
| Certification of report of birth issued by Department of State |
| Form I-179, Identification Card for resident citizen of the US |
| For Both |
|---|
| US Passport (cards are valid also) |
| Permanent resident card (Greencard) |
| FMS or RMI Passport with Form I-94 |
| Form I-766 with photograph |
| Foreign passport with I-551 |
For most employees, presenting a certified copy of birth certificate and driver’s license is enough. If you have a US passport card, that’s even better as it verifies both identity and work authorization.
When is the deadline to file Form I-9?
There isn’t a set deadline for filing Form I-9. Employees must file Form I-9 within three days of their hire and the employers must enforce this. Due to this, employers can actually terminate employees rightfully in case they don’t file Form I-9 on time. As an employee, make sure to file Form I-9. It’s best to bring it with you if your employer doesn’t present you with one on the first day of your employment.
What happens if I don’t file Form I-9?
There is a monetary penalty for not filing Form I-9. However, since Form I-9 doesn’t have a deadline, this only occur during an inspection by the USCIS. The penalty for not filing Form I-9 is imposed on both the employee and the employer. The minimum penalty amount is $237. For employers, the penalty is a bit complicated to compute. Read more on the USCIS penalties for neglecting Form I-9.
Can I send Form I-9 to employer electronically?
After filing the above Form I-9 and entering your electronic signature, you can email the copy to your employer. As long as the employer receives the copy you filed, furnishing the employer electronically, by mail, or in person doesn’t matter.
How to store employee Forms I-9?
Since the USCIS agents will ask for the Forms I-9 during an inspection, it’s best to store them in the personnel files. You can do this by keeping Forms I-9 in a separate file or keep a copy of Form I-9 of each employee in their individual columns.
