Buzz
Carefully fill out each section of your I-9 form
The I-9 Form serves to confirm that an individual is authorized to work in the United States. The employee completes the first section and provides documentation that proves their eligibility to work. The employer reviews the documents, verifies their authenticity, and then completes the second section of the form. For reverification or rehiring, only the third section is filled out by the employer.
I-9 Completion: A Quick Guide
Provide your full legal name, home address, date of birth, Social Security number, and contact information in the relevant fields. Select the appropriate box to indicate your citizenship status and work eligibility in the U.S. Be sure to sign and date the form, and submit it on your first day of employment with either one ID from List A or two IDs from Lists B and C.
Process Steps
Completing the Employee Information Section
Enter your full legal name on the form. Include both first and last names, even if you have multiple first or last names. You only need to use your middle initial rather than the full middle name. If you've had previous last names, such as a maiden name, be sure to include those as well.
- If you only have one name, enter it in the last name field and write 'unknown' in the first name field.
- If your name is hyphenated, remember to include the hyphen.
Provide your address and date of birth. Fill in your full address, including any apartment number if applicable. Also, include your birth date, following the format of month, day, and year.
State your legal status. Select the appropriate box that matches your situation: U.S. citizen, noncitizen national, lawful permanent resident, or a foreign national authorized to work in the U.S. If necessary, provide your Alien Number/USCIS number, foreign passport number along with the issuing country, or a Form I-94 admission number, along with the expiration date of your work permit.
- You only need to provide either your Alien Number/USCIS number or a Form I-94 admission number, not both. Your Alien Number, which is similar to a Social Security number, is a unique identifier that may consist of 7 to 9 digits.
Provide optional details. If your employer requires E-Verify, you should include your Social Security number and email address. You may also provide your phone number if you prefer to be contacted that way.
- E-Verify is an online system used to confirm your eligibility to work in the U.S.
Finalizing the Form and Submitting Documentation
Sign and date your form. After completing the form, you'll need to provide your signature and the date. You have the option to sign electronically.
- Your employer typically sets up the electronic signature process. You'll use company-provided software to sign and date the form and confirm you've read it.
- Alternatively, you can print the form, sign it manually, and then scan it to create an electronic version.
Fill out the I-9 form on your first day. As an employee, it is your responsibility to complete the form before or on your first day of work. This is a requirement set by the government.
Provide your documents to your employer. Once you've filled out the form, you must present documents that verify your legal right to work in the U.S. Your employer will review these documents and finalize the form.
- You can show one document from List A or a combination of two documents—one from List B and one from List C.
- List A includes documents such as:
- U.S. Passport or Passport Card
- Permanent Resident or Alien Registration Receipt Card
- Employment Authorization Document Card
- Foreign passport with Form I-94 or I-551 stamp/Form I-551
- Passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or I-94A
Present documents from List B and List C. If you don’t have a document from List A, you can present one document from List B and one from List C. Acceptable documents include:
- List B includes:
- Driver’s license
- Government-issued photo ID card with biographical details
- Hospital, school, or doctor record if you're under 18 and have no other ID
- List C includes:
- Unrestricted Social Security card
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240)
- Certification of Birth Abroad (Form FS-545)
- Certification of Report of Birth (Form DS-1350)
- Original birth certificate
- Native American tribal document
- U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197)
- Identification Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the U.S. (Form I-179)
- Document from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Completing the Employer Section
Verify the first section. Before you start filling out the employer section, ensure that the first section has been completed by the employee, including their signature and date.
- Remember, only the employer should complete this part, not the employee.
Inspect the provided documents. After the employee has completed their section, they must present their documents for you to review. It's your responsibility to verify that the documents appear authentic and meet the requirement of either one document from List A or one document from both List B and List C.
Enter the employee’s information. In the second section, you'll need to input the employee’s full name and employment status. Additionally, include details for each document presented, such as the document number, issuing authority, title, and expiration date (if applicable).
Record the employee's start date. You will need to enter the date the employee officially began their employment. If they haven’t started yet, you can use a future date.
Provide your information along with the company’s details. Enter your full name and title, as well as the company’s name and the most relevant company address pertaining to the employee. Don’t forget to sign and date the form.
Return the documentation to the employee. After confirming the documents are valid, give them back to the employee. Retain the documentation only for the time needed to complete the form.
Filling out Section 3 for Rehiring or Reverification
Fill out the third section with the employee's name. If you rehire an employee within 3 years of their departure or if an employee changes their name, you only need to complete Section 3 for reverification. However, you must always include the employee’s name in the employer section.
Re-verify when an employee’s documents expire. When you first complete the form, make a note of the expiration date on the employee's documentation. When it expires, you’ll need to re-verify it, except for U.S. citizens or noncitizen nationals.
- Ask for the same documents as before, review them, and if everything checks out, record the document details. Then, sign and date the form again.
Review the original I-9 for rehires. Check if the documentation is still valid. If it hasn’t expired, just update the employee’s new employment date. If the documentation has expired, you’ll need to examine either a List A or List C document. There’s no need to review List B documents.
- If you examine the documents, enter their information, and then sign and date the form.
