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Employment Eligibility Verification

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EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

This form is used to record the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment. The employee must complete Section 1. The employer must complete Section 2 and review original documentation presented by the employee. False statements or misrepresentations may subject the individual to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties.

Section 1 — Employee Information and Attestation (To be completed by employee)

Full Legal Name:

Other Last Names Used (if any):

Date of Birth:    Social Security Number:

Email:    Phone:

I attest, under penalty of perjury, that I am (check one):

A citizen of the United States    A noncitizen national of the United States

A lawful permanent resident (Provide Alien Registration Number/USCIS Number):

An alien authorized to work until   (Provide Alien Registration Number/Admission Number or Ticket Number):

Employee's Signature:    Date:

Section 2 — Employer Review and Verification (To be completed and signed by employer)

Documents Presented (enter document title, issuing authority, document number and expiration date as applicable). Employer must examine original documentation and record document information below.

Document 1

Document Number:    Expiration Date:

Document 2

Document Number:    Expiration Date:

Document 3 (if applicable)

Document Number:    Expiration Date:

I attest that the documents presented were examined by me and appear to be genuine and to relate to the individual presenting them. I understand that I may be subject to penalties for failure to properly complete this verification.

Representative Name:    Title:

Employer Business Name:

Signature of Employer Representative:    Date Signed:

Preparer/Translator Certification (if used)

I assisted the employee in completing Section 1. I attest, under penalty of perjury, that the information is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Preparer/Translator Name:    Signature:    Date:

Supplemental HR Information

Start Date:    Salary/Rate:

Employment History

Dates Employed: From to

Dates Employed: From to

Education

Graduation Date:

References (Professional)

Legal Disclosures and Authorizations

At-Will Employment: Nothing in this verification form alters the at-will employment relationship, unless expressly stated in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized representative of the employer and the employee.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The employer is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or other protected status under applicable law.

Applicant Certification: I certify under penalty of perjury that all information provided on this form is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I authorize the employer to contact prior employers and references for purposes of verification and to conduct lawful background checks where permitted by applicable law.

Authorization to Contact: I authorize the employer to contact my previous employers and professional references.

Authorization for Background Check: I authorize the employer to conduct background checks and verifications as permitted by law.

Applicant Certification and Final Signature

By signing below the employee certifies the accuracy of Section 1 and acknowledges the employer's review of documentation in Section 2.

Employee Printed Name:

Employee Signature:

Date:

Employer Representative Printed Name:

By (Signature):

Date:

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What the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) Is

Form I-9, titled Employment Eligibility Verification, is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) form employers must complete to verify that each new employee is authorized to work in the United States. Employers and employees complete different sections: employees attest to their status and provide required identity and work-authorization documents; employers examine those documents, complete employer fields, and retain the form per federal rules.

Why accurate Employment Eligibility Verification matters

Completing Form I-9 correctly establishes legal compliance with federal hiring rules, reduces the risk of civil fines and criminal penalties, and documents the employer's good-faith effort to verify work authorization under federal law.

Why accurate Employment Eligibility Verification matters

Who typically completes Employment Eligibility Verification

Employers, HR teams, and new hires are the primary participants in the I-9 process; third-party staffing firms and background-check vendors also interact with the form as part of onboarding workflows.

  • Employers and HR teams: Prepare and retain completed I-9 forms; complete employer review and verification steps.
  • New hires: Complete Section 1 and present original identity and work-authorization documents for employer inspection.
  • Staffing agencies and vendors: Assist with collection or storage when contractually authorized; employer remains responsible for compliance.

Responsibilities differ by role: employees supply attestations and documents, employers inspect and retain records, and vendors may facilitate secure collection and storage under written agreements.

Primary signer roles

HR Manager

HR managers review employee documents, complete employer sections, and maintain I-9 retention schedules. Employers remain liable for accuracy and timeliness even when tasks are delegated to staffing agencies or third-party providers.

New Hire

New employees must complete Section 1 by their first day of employment and present acceptable identity and work-authorization documents for inspection within the statutory timeframe.

Step-by-step: completing Form I-9 correctly

Follow a clear sequence to complete Sections 1–3, verify documents, and store the form under required retention rules.

  • 01
    Employee completes Section 1: Enter legal name, address, TIN if provided, and attest to citizenship or work-authorized status.
  • 02
    Employer inspects documents: Examine original List A or List B + C documents for authenticity and record document details exactly.
  • 03
    Employer completes Section 2: Record document title, issuing authority, document number, and expiration date where applicable.
  • 04
    Retain and reverify: Store the form and reverify an employee whose authorization expires.

Typical electronic I-9 workflow

An eWorkflow replaces paper while preserving employer verification, identity proofing, and secure retention when implemented in line with federal rules.

  • Prepare the I-9 form: Upload a current I-9 template and place fields for Section 1, Section 2, document capture, and signatures.
  • Assign signer: Send the employee a secure signing link or allow in-person completion at onboarding.
  • Verify identity: Inspect original documents in person or use authorized remote identity-proofing methods consistent with employer policy and state RON rules.
  • Store with audit trail: Save the completed I-9 and a signed audit log that captures timestamps, IP addresses, and reviewer identity for compliance.

Recommended electronic workflow settings for I-9 collection

Configure fields and verifications to mirror paper requirements and preserve evidence of document inspection and signing events.

Field Configuration
Authentication Email plus optional SMS code for employee access.
Document upload Accept PDF, JPG, PNG of original documents where remote inspection is permitted.
Employer review Require reviewer to confirm visual inspection and mark checkboxes for document authenticity.
Retention policy Automate retention based on 8 CFR requirements and employer schedule.

Technical and integration requirements for electronic I-9s

Ensure the eSignature platform supports secure file formats, strong authentication, audit trails, and integrations with HR and payroll systems.

  • Integrations: Salesforce | Microsoft 365 | NetSuite | Google Workspace are common HR and ATS integrations to consolidate records.
  • File formats: PDF and DOCX support preserves form fidelity and audit metadata for retention.
  • Security features: Two-factor authentication, tamper-evident storage, and exportable audit logs are essential.

Select a platform that produces tamper-evident signed PDFs, supports secure storage, and provides audit logs to meet inspection requests.

Security and compliance features to look for

Encryption in transit: TLS 1.2 / 1.3
Encryption at rest: AES-256
Certifications: SOC 2 Type II
ESIGN / UETA: Legal framework compliance
HIPAA readiness: BAA available
Audit trail: Timestamps, IP, action log

Penalties and risks for incorrect Employment Eligibility Verification

I-9 paperwork fines: Federal fines $281–$2,789 per violation
Criminal liability: False documents may trigger criminal charges
Discrimination risk: Unlawful documentary discrimination claims
Document fraud: Use of forged IDs exposes employer liability
E-Verify mismatch: Unresolved mismatches can delay employment
Recordkeeping failures: Missing retention invites civil penalties

Frequent issues when preparing I-9 forms

  • Incomplete dates: employers fail to record the employee's first day or the employer review date, triggering audit exceptions.
  • Document detail errors: transcription of document numbers or expiration dates with typos leads to verification failures.
  • Improper document acceptance: employers accept photocopies when originals were required or fail to ask for acceptable combinations.
  • Late reverification: failing to reverify expired work authorization before it expires exposes the employer to penalties.

Key timing rules for Employment Eligibility Verification

Observe statutory timing for Section 1, Section 2, reverification, and retention to stay compliant with federal requirements.

Section 1 timing:

Employee completes Section 1 by first day of employment.

Section 2 timing:

Employer completes Section 2 within three business days of hire.

Reverification:

Reverify when an employee's work authorization expires.

Retention:

Retain I-9 for 3 years after hire or 1 year after termination, whichever is later.

Inspection availability:

Provide I-9s for DHS or ICE inspection on request.

Onboarding milestones for I-9 completion

Follow these sequential stages to document employee authorization and maintain an auditable chain of completion.

01

Pre-hire preparation

Provide new hire instructions and list of acceptable documents prior to start date.

02

Day One — Section 1

Employee completes attestation and signs Section 1 by the first day of employment.

03

Within three days — Section 2

Employer inspects documents and records document details in Section 2.

04

Ongoing — Reverification

Monitor expiration dates and reverify authorization as required by law.

eSignature platform comparison for Employment Eligibility Verification

Compare core pricing and capability signals when selecting an eSignature provider for I-9 workflows; signNow is listed first for direct comparison.

signNow DocuSign Adobe Sign PandaDoc HelloSign
Starting Price $8/user/mo $15/user/mo $14/user/mo $19/user/mo $15/user/mo
Free Trial 7-day free trial Verify Verify Verify Verify
Bulk Send Yes Yes Yes Yes Verify
Audit Trail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
HIPAA Compliant Yes Yes Yes No No

Real-world examples of digitized hiring and verification

Organizations have standardized onboarding by digitizing identity verification and recordkeeping, producing measurable time and compliance benefits.

Optica Ventures — COO

Optica centralized onboarding to reduce paperwork and speed new-hire processing.

  • Key result: faster document turnaround and fewer missing forms during audits.
  • "The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers."

Martin Properties — Founder

A real estate firm moved I-9 collection online to support remote closings and seasonal staff.

  • Key result: consistent verification and secure storage across locations.
  • "I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security."

Practical tips to reduce errors and audit exposure

Adopt standardized checklists and automation to reduce transcription errors and ensure timely reverification.

Standardize onboarding packets
Provide new hires a clear list of acceptable documents and step-by-step instructions to ensure Section 1 and document presentation meet employer expectations.
Use a verification checklist
Require the employer reviewer to check and initial each document element to create a defensible audit trail during inspections.
Automate retention rules
Configure automatic retention and disposal schedules aligned to 8 CFR §274a.2 to avoid accidental premature deletion.
Train reviewers
Provide regular training on acceptable documents and anti-discrimination rules to reduce unlawful document requests and errors.

Frequently asked questions about Employment Eligibility Verification

Answers to common questions about I-9 completion, electronic signatures, retention, and what to do when issues arise.


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