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Things you might not know about Form I-9 and E-Verify

By: Celeste Ricco Monday, 8 September 2014

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While developing Choice Screening I-9 ComplyTM, we came across some interesting info that we either found surprising, intriguing or just really useful to know!

 

Here’s the short and sweet that caught our attention:

  • Compliance and $$$$ (of course it’s #1!)  A lot of fines from an audit are the result of errors and practices that a company thought were OK, but weren’t.  Error checking software and audit support make a big difference!

  • Anyone can be an agent for the employer, but the employer is still liable.  You can have anyone verify List A, B and C documents for authenticity, but make sure whoever does is the person signing Section 2.  A lot of companies have trouble finding someone to act as your agent and verify the documents, which is why notary services increasingly fill this role!

  • You have to take what you get from the List.  If the employee gives you his H1B and you aren’t familiar with what’s authentic and what isn’t, you can’t ask for a different form of ID.  You must inspect the document offered for authenticity and make a reasonable judgment in that regard.

  • Expiration may or may not matter.  Documents that have expiration dates may or may not matter or may or may not need to be updated when expiring. 

 

Do you know if your Forms put you at risk? Download our Form I-9 Internal Self Audit Guide.

 

  • SSN is optional!  The employee is not required to provide their SSN on Form I-9... unless you’re using E-Verify. Then you need it to complete the E-Verify submission.

  • Your employee can sign with their mouse.  (Just because it’s kind of cool)  Our online Form I-9 lets your employee sign the form with their mouse so you can see their signature, not just a typed name. 

  • ICE ICE Audit. Too Cold. Too Cold.  ICE targets specific industries for its audits.  Audits are increasing exponentially year after year.  You can get fined on a technicality; although, ICE sometimes takes into account honest mistakes and reasonable effort when deciding the fine amount.

  • You can be fined on old documents during an audit.  If you are audited and you have Form I-9s that have violations, but could have been destroyed (i.e. employee left more than 3 years ago), you can be fined on those old forms’ violations. You can protect yourself if you auto-purge old documents on your Form I-9 compliance software.

 

As you can see, there's a lot to make us excited about our new services: Choice Screening I-9 ComplyTM.  Small and large companies can gain from error tracking, audit support and electronically managing your Form I9 because, all I-9 fun aside, we wouldn’t wish an audit on anyone!

 

For more Choice Screening I-9 ComplyTM and E-Verify info:

Contact Us

 

Related article: I Thought I Was Verifying Employment Eligibility…. The difference between a SSN Verification and Employment Eligibility Verification

 

Topics: Form I-9 & E-Verify, Choice Screening

Celeste Ricco

Background screening enthusiast. Blogger. FCRA Advanced Certified by NAPBS. Dedicated to all things background screening!