I-9 documents refer to the documents that employees must present to their employers to verify their identity and authorization to work in the United States, as part of completing the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. This form is required by U.S. law for all individuals hired for employment in the U.S., including citizens and non-citizens
Purpose of I-9 Documents
- To confirm the employee's identity.
- To verify the employee's authorization to work in the United States
Form I-9 Process
- The employee completes the Form I-9 and attests to their employment authorization.
- The employee presents acceptable documents to the employer.
- The employer examines the documents to ensure they appear genuine and relate to the employee.
- The employer records the document information on the Form I-9 and retains the form for a required period
Categories of Acceptable I-9 Documents
The acceptable documents are divided into three lists:
- List A: Documents that establish both identity and employment authorization (e.g., U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card, Employment Authorization Document with photo).
- List B: Documents that establish identity only (e.g., driver's license, state ID card, school ID).
- List C: Documents that establish employment authorization only (e.g., Social Security card, birth certificate)
Employees must present either one document from List A or a combination of one document from List B and one from List C. All documents must be unexpired
Examples of Acceptable I-9 Documents
- U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card (List A)
- Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) (List A)
- Driver's license with photo (List B)
- Social Security card (List C)
Employers must accept any valid documents from the lists provided without discrimination and retain the completed Form I-9 for the duration of employment plus a specified period after employment ends
. In summary, I-9 documents are the official forms of identification and work authorization documents employees present to employers to comply with U.S. employment eligibility verification requirements. The Form I-9 and its acceptable documents are mandated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
