I-9 FAQ

Completing the I-9 Form

1. What do I need to know about completing the I-9 form?

• Contact Catapult or go to: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central if you have any questions about the I-9 process.
• Make sure the employee completes their part of the I-9 form on the first day of employment.
• The employer has 3 business days in which to complete their section, which means that the employer must have documents from the employee by that time.  Do not count the actual hire date as day 1.  For example, if an employee starts on a Monday, they must provide the appropriate documents by Thursday. If an employee is unable to provide the appropriate documents within that time period, their employment should generally be terminated, not suspended.
• Employee receipts may be accepted for certain documents, and clearly indicated as receipts on the I-9 form.  Employers must ensure that they follow-up on receipts within 90 days (or in some cases on the expiration date).  Employers should correct the I-9 at that time, and initial/date.
• The date in Section 2 (hire date) must match the date in payroll records.
• The forms should be clear and neat.  If corrections are made, mark through the incorrect data with a single line and make correction clearly/initial and date.  Highlighting marks, hole punches and staples should not interfere with an authorized official’s ability to read the information on the form.
• Copies of the documentation retained with Form I-9 should be legible, if copies are made.  The only copies required are those used for photo matching in the E-Verify tool.  However, if you decide to keep copies of all documentation, you must do so for all employees and those copies need to be made available for inspection should an audit occur.
• Abbreviations should be widely understood. Do not use an abbreviation that is not widely known.
• Be sure that someone in your office keeps all forms up-to-date and keeps an eye on blogs such as those from Catapult to ensure the most recent version of the I-9 form is used.  Note:  Forms may show an expiration date but may still be valid if updates have not been released.
• All applicable sections of the form should be completed.
• Documents should be unexpired.
• Documents requiring re-verification due to employment eligibility expiring should be tracked so that employees can be alerted close to the expiration date.  US Citizens, Permanent Residents and Noncitizen Nationals never need reverification.  No List B documents require re-verification.
• The English version of the form should be completed. The Spanish version is approved for use only in Puerto Rico.

2. What are the Common Mistakes when completing the I-9 form?

• Employer signs I-9 before hire date.
• Employee doesn’t sign/date at bottom.
• Employee doesn’t check one of the boxes regarding status.
• Employee doesn’t include A-Number/USCIS Number (if applicable).
• Employee doesn’t check the box regarding using or not using “Translator/Preparer”.
• Employer doesn’t enter employee name/status at the top of page 2.
• Employer doesn’t list the full information in the boxes (document title, issuing authority etc.)
• Employer doesn’t list the date of hire/employment.
• Employer doesn’t complete by the 3-business day requirement.
• Employees are treated in a discriminatory manner (asking for a particular type of documentation, as an example.)
• Employer over-documents (asking for a List A, B and C document, for example).