New I-9 form required May 1

On January 31, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the release of a new version of the I-9 employment eligibility verification form. There are minor changes to the new form and its instructions, including clarification about which documents are acceptable for I-9 verification as well as clarification about who can act as an authorized representative on behalf of an employer.

USCIS recommends that employers immediately begin using the new I-9 form, which has a version date of 10/21/2019. However, the agency recognizes that some employers may need additional time to update their processes. As a result, you may continue to use the previous version (Rev. 7/17/2017 N) until the end of April. On May 1, 2020, all employers will be required to use the latest version.

Not sure which version you're using? Just look for the version date in the lower left corner of the form. You can always download the latest version of the form (dated 10/21/2019) from USCIS's website. Employees with valid I-9s on file with your organization will not be required to reverify using the new version of the form after May 1.

Charlie Plumb is an attorney in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, office of McAfee & Taft. You can reach him at charlie.plumb@mcafeetaft.com.