2020 Form I-9 Revisions

UPDATE PROCEDURES TO AVOID PENALTY

The latest release of the revised Form I-9, Employee Eligibility Verification, issued by The United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), provides a long awaited update to the form last issued in July of 2017. While the revisions are minor, businesses should act with a sense of urgency to modify their existing processes and ensure full compliance. The updated Form I-9 was officially released on January 31, 2020, leaving employers with an April 30, 2020 deadline to transition their processes and procedures as they relate to the new requirements.

Form I-9 Explained
The Department of Homeland Security continues to increase efforts related to employer immigration compliance. The Form I-9 serves as verification of identity and employment authorization for every individual seeking employment in the United States. It is the employer’s responsibility to issue and collect the completed form for all employees, citizens and non-citizens alike. Civil penalties and criminal prosecution will be enforced for employers who fail to properly issue, collect, and store Form I-9 documents.

2020 Revisions
Employers must be aware of numerous changes to the Form, as follows:

>  Clarification as to who can act as an authorized representative on an employer’s behalf;
>  USCIS website address updates;
>  Clarification as to the constitution of an acceptable document;
>  Updated Privacy Notice from the Department of Homeland Security;
>  Updated Form I-9 request process; and
>  Modifications to the structure and organization of information throughout the document.

The official update released by the USCIS can be found here. VonLehman’s specialized HR Consulting Group can assist your company or organization with procedural implementation and adherence to the Form I-9 as well as other required government issued forms. Contact VonLehman’s Human Resources Consulting Group at 800.887.0437 for guidance related to this topic.