U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has extended the expiration date for Form I-9, which is used for employment eligibility verification, to May 31, 2027.
The form, which can be downloaded here, has a version date of Aug. 1, 2023. Depending on when it was accessed, the form may have an expiration date of either July 31, 2026, or the newly extended May 31, 2027.
Both iterations of the form are acceptable for use until July 31, 2026, USCIS said. But the agency is recommending employers use the form with the 2027 expiration date.
“While either form may be used until its expiration date, switching over to the new form sooner rather than later is encouraged,” said Michael Neifach, an attorney in the Washington, D.C., regional law office of Jackson Lewis. “USCIS is particularly reminding employers who use electronic Form I-9 systems to update to the new version as soon as possible to ensure the new form is in use by July 31, 2026.”
Latest Version of the Form I-9
The current version of the Form I-9 was released by USCIS in August 2023. The updated version included changes such as reducing the form from two pages to one; revising the List of Acceptable Documents; and adding a check box allowing employers to indicate if they had examined the documentation remotely under a newly authorized virtual procedure rather than via physical examination. The form was also designed to be completed on tablets and mobile devices.
“The instructions are more streamlined and clearer,” Neifach said at the time the new form was released. “I think it will be helpful and overall make it easier for employers to use.”
Neifach added that the most notable change to the form was the addition of the check box for employers interested in using the alternative virtual verification procedures.
Being able to virtually inspect and verify employment authorization documents is a “very welcome development and something that HR practitioners have been calling for for a long time,” he said.
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