New Website Provides Form I-9 Guidance; AGC Conference to Offer Helpful Session

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched I-9 Central, a new online resource center dedicated to Form I-9, the Employee Eligibility Verification form. This website is intended to provide employers and employees with one-click access to resources, tips and guidance to properly complete Form I-9 and better understand the Form I-9 process. “I-9 Central is the latest in our ongoing efforts to better serve the 7.5 million employers who use Form I-9 every time they hire an employee,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. “It provides critical information for all employers – whether they hire a single employee or hundreds – in an accessible, intuitive and comprehensive online format.” The launch of I-9 Central follows the introduction of other important USCIS employment-related resources. These resources include E-Verify Self Check, a service launched in March that allows workers and job seekers in the United States to check their own employment eligibility status online, and an updated “Handbook for Employers: Instructions for Completing Form I-9 (M-274)” published earlier this year.  USCIS also offers free webinars on completing Form I-9. I-9 Central includes sections about employer and employee rights and responsibilities, step-by-step instructions for completing the form, and information on acceptable documents for establishing identity and employment authorization. I-9 Central also includes a discussion of common mistakes to avoid when completing the form, guidance on how to correct errors, and answers to employers’ recent questions about the Form I-9 process. This year, AGC’s 10^th Annual HR Professionals Conference will feature a session on I-9 forms.  Led by a representative of the Immigration, Customs & Enforcement division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, “Before You Sign Form I-9” will be a hands-on document review workshop designed to train employers on ways to recognize fraudulent documents used to complete Form I-9 as a means of obtaining unauthorized employment.  The conference will be held October 4-5, 2011 in Kansas City, Missouri. By law, U.S. employers must verify the identity and employment authorization for every worker they hire after Nov. 6, 1986, regardless of the employee’s immigration status. To comply with the law, employers must complete Form I-9. For more information on Form I-9 and immigration compliance for employers, visit AGC’s Labor and HR Topical Resources webpage or www.USCIS.gov/I-9central.  To register for the HR Professionals Conference, visit www.agc.org/HR_TED.