Effective, Friday, April 3, 2009 all employers will be required to use a revised version of the employment eligibility form known as the I-9 form.
According to an interim rule published in December 2008 by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), employers were supposed to begin using the revised verification form on Feb. 2, 2009. However, when President Obama took office, the White House issued a directive to all federal agencies asking them to review regulations introduced by the Bush administration that had not taken effect before Jan. 20, 2009.
USCIS officials stated that the 60-day delay should provide adequate time to complete a full review of the new form and employment verification requirements. A notice announcing the delay appeared in the Federal Register.
Employers must complete a Form I-9 for all newly hired employees to verify their identity and authorization to work in the United States. The interim final rule as published revises the types of acceptable identity and employment authorization documents employers can accept from new hires effective April 3, 2009.
In addition, the rule stipulates that employees cannot use expired identification documents to verify their work eligibility beginning April 3, 2009, unless the government changes its plans. The revised I-9 form is also available online from the USCIS web site
www.uscis.gov.
Revised I-9 Form