Every job applicant in the USA is asked this question, not because the employer is patriotic or anti-immigrant. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 mandates that job seekers produce identification that proves that they are entitled to work in the United States. As part of the IRCA of 1986, Form I-9 was created to document the identification used to prove legal employment.
Since November 6, 1986, employees must complete Form I-9 at the time of hire. Employees complete Section 1 of the form when they start employment. Employers must complete Section 2 within three days of the employee’s start date. Time is of the essence; employers are responsible for the proper completion of forms and keeping the documentation on file.
By completing Section 1 of the Form I-9, the new hire will attest, under penalty of perjury that they are eligible for employment by being in one of the following categories:
· U.S. Citizen
· U.S. Non-Citizen National -A person born in an outlying possession of the U.S., for example, American Samoa.
· Lawful Permanent Resident
· Alien Authorized to Work
Every employer is required to complete this process of the Form I-9 for employees they hire, but no form needs to be completed by volunteers or by contractors.
Most employers complete this process at the place of employment, but in today’s work environment where more employers are hiring remote workers, the onboarding of new employees is more difficult. How do you comply with the requirement from USCIS if your new hire lives far away from the office?
The answer is to enlist the services of a local I-9 representative. Although Form I-9 doesn’t require a Notary Public to complete the document, many companies who are hiring remote employees look to notaries because of their expertise in verifying identification through the same documents that are used to establish eligibility for employment.
SCG Law & Language has the experience and know-how that you can trust to be your company’s I-9 representative in Central Florida.
To find out more about this service and how to make an appointment for your next new hire, visit our website.