The US Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security is making changes that will allow employers to remotely verify employment eligibility for new and rehired workers.
A new, shortened and streamlined version of Form I-9 will go live Aug. 1. Employers can continue to use the current form until Oct. 31, but after that, they will be penalized if they use the current version.
“Of note, the revised form will allow remote review of employee documentation for those employers enrolled in E-Verify and in compliance with all E-Verify rules,” wrote Husch Blackwell attorneys Christine Fabin and Kelli Meilink. “To remotely review documentation, employees must first submit copies of documentation (front and back to the employer) to the employer, and then the employer must verify documentation through a live video interaction.”
The new form is born out of lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to USCIS. An optional alternative to the physical documentation examination procedures, required by the employment eligibility verification regulations, had practical benefits such as the fact that new and rehired employees no longer need to travel to a worksite to present documentation for Form I-9, the agency said.
“The remote Form I-9 Alternative Procedure reflects the modern reality of the American workforce and HR processes and takes account of current and emerging technology — all while investing in the integrity and the security of the US immigration system,” said Emily Dickens, SHRM’s chief of staff, head of public affairs and corporate secretary.
