As of November 1st, it is time to use the new Form I-9

Stop the presses! The “new and improved” Form I-9 made its much-anticipated debut, and this 35+ year-old employment eligibility form is looking sleeker than ever.

This fresh 2023 fit for the fall season is down from two pages to just one, single, streamlined sheet, and sporting a few slight revisions to the “Lists of Acceptable Documents”.  There is also a shiny new “E-Verify” box, which you’ll need to check if – you guessed it! – you utilized the Form I-9’s freshly-minted, permanent remote verification option, as authorized earlier this year by the Department of Homeland Security. 

While this update is refreshingly simple compared to the recent deluge of drastic administrative action throughout the course of 2023 that the Firm has posted about, it is worth examining the new Form I-9 in detail for two reasons: first, the Form really is just one page, so it should not take your employee and your business very long to complete. However, the simplicity is deceptive in that this one page Form comes with a 146-page handbook on how to complete the form.  Go to https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274 to obtain your own copy of the extensive M-274 Manual.  Additionally, as has been true of past Form I-9 violations, the potential for significant monetary and criminal penalties continues to exist.  

If you are a U.S. employer, you have a duty to complete the Form I-9 for all employees, even if you only have one employee.  If you are a Florida based employer of 25 or more employees, your business is required to utilize the federal E-Verify system to complete your Form I-9’s, so it is doubly important for Florida employers to know and understand each and every line, box, and asterisk of this incredibly important (and deceptively simple) Form. 

To go straight to the source, click here: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9. If you would prefer a tailored, user-friendly explanation of what exactly these revisions require, and how they’ll impact your business, contact your friendly neighborhood labor and employment attorney.  The Sensenig Law Firm is here to help when you need us.