You may have noticed that the current Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, has an expiration date of March 31, 2016, and may be uncertain whether this form is still valid for use. The USCIS informs employers that this version of Form I-9 is current and directs employers to continue using this form while it works on a new version of Form I-9.
As a matter of course, the validity of the Form I-9 is determined by the revision date at the bottom of the form, rather than the expiration date at the top of the form. The current Form I-9 has a revision date of 03/08/13 N.
The USCIS is staying abreast of technology. Already, Form I-9 can be completed, signed and stored in paper, microfilm or microfiche, or electronic formats. USCIS even has a desktop widget that allows employers to complete the Form I-9 from their computer’s desktop. Soon, the “Smart” Form I-9 will be approved. It promises cool new features, such as:
- additional spaces to enter multiple preparers and translators
- hover text, helper text and drop-down lists that help users to complete data fields
- buttons that will allow users to access the instructions electronically, print the form, and clear the form to start over
- a dedicated area to enter additional information that employers are currently required to notate in the margins of the form
- a finish button that would check a data fields to ensure that information is correctly filled out
- the addition of a QR code that generates once the form is printed
We will have this FREE form available from our website once it releases. Stay tuned.