When must an I-9 be completed?

Employees must complete Section 1 by the first day of employment; employers must complete Section 2 within three business days of hire. Retain the form as required by 8 CFR §274a.2 and make it available for government inspection.

Can an I-9 be completed remotely?

Physical inspection of original documents is generally required. Temporary remote inspection flexibilities have changed over time; follow current USCIS guidance or authorized representative procedures before relying on remote inspection.

Which documents are acceptable?

Accept documents from List A, or a combination of List B and List C, recording the document title, issuing authority, number, and expiration date exactly as shown on originals.

What if work authorization expires?

When temporary work authorization expires, employers must reverify authorization by completing Section 3 or executing a new Form I-9, documenting the new expiration or updated status.

How long must I keep I-9s?

Keep I-9s for three years after hire or one year after termination, whichever is later, per 8 CFR §274a.2. Longer retention may be required by state or industry rules.

What do auditors commonly find?

Frequent audit findings include missing signatures, blank fields, incorrect document entries, failure to reverify expired authorizations, and inability to produce forms during inspection.

I-9 Form

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What the I-9 Form Is and who it covers

The I-9 Form (Employment Eligibility Verification) is a U.S. federal form used by employers to verify identity and authorization to work in the United States. Employers must collect specified employee information and acceptable identity and employment authorization documents, record those details, and retain the form according to federal retention rules. The form supports compliance with immigration and employment laws administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security. Completion requires both employee and employer sections; certain exceptions apply for remote verification and reverification events.

Why accurate I-9 completion matters for employers

The I-9 Form documents lawful work authorization, reduces employer exposure to immigration penalties, and establishes a retained record for audits. Accurate, timely completion helps demonstrate compliance with 8 CFR §274a.2 and reduces the risk of fines associated with paperwork violations.

Typical users and roles for the I-9 Form

Employers across industries use the I-9 Form to verify new hires and keep required work-authorization records.

Human resources teams responsible for onboarding, compliance, and record retention across all employer sizes.
Hiring managers who collect employee section information and coordinate document review with HR.
Third-party staffing agencies and background check vendors when contracted to perform onboarding services.

Who completes or signs the I-9 Form

HR Manager

An HR Manager performs initial I-9 intake, inspects original identity and work authorization documents in person, completes the employer section, and ensures retention schedules are followed. They maintain audit-ready records and coordinate corrective action for any deficiencies uncovered during internal reviews.

Compliance Officer

A Compliance Officer oversees policy, conducts periodic I-9 audits, tracks reverification triggers, documents remediation steps for errors, coordinates with legal counsel as needed, and ensures company procedures align with 8 CFR §274a.2 and USCIS guidance.

Security and compliance features for electronic I-9 handling

Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit

At-Rest Protection: AES-256 encryption at rest

Access Controls: Role-based permissions, SSO support

Audit Trail: Timestamps, IPs, action log

Certifications: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001

HIPAA Support: BAA available upon request

Penalties and primary risks from improper I-9 handling

Paperwork Fines: $281–$2,789 per violation

Intentional Violations: $660+ per violation, no cap

Backup Withholding: 24% rate for missing TIN

Civil Liability: Employment discrimination suits possible

Recordkeeping Failure: Failure to produce I-9 on inspection

Criminal Exposure: Fraud or false statement liability

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing I-9s

Incomplete sections: leaving employee or employer sections blank or unsigned leads to noncompliance and increases audit exposure during USCIS inspections.
Accepting unacceptable documents, such as expired IDs or photocopies when originals are required, undermines verification and can trigger fines during investigations.
Using incorrect retention schedules or discarding I-9s prematurely violates 8 CFR §274a.2 and can result in civil penalties and required remediation.
Improper remote verification without following authorized RON or USCIS temporary procedures can invalidate inspection steps and create compliance gaps.

Stepwise process to complete the I-9 during onboarding

Follow this sequence to complete the I-9 Form accurately and on time during onboarding process.

01

Employee Section: Enter full legal name, DOB, and citizenship or immigration status; sign and date Section 1.
02

Document Review: Employer examines original documents and records document title, issuing authority, number, and expiration date.
03

Employer Section: Complete employer attestation, sign, print name, and date Section 2 within three business days of hire.
04

Retention: Store I-9 per federal retention rules and make available for inspection by DHS.

Configure your digital I-9 workflow

Configure your digital workflow fields and authentication settings for consistent I-9 processing and secure storage.

Workflow Field and Configuration	Configuration
Employee Full Legal Name Field	Required; enable exact-text validation and optional Magic field auto-fill to reduce typos.
Document Type and Details Field	Capture document title, number, issuer, and expiration; require original-document confirmation.
Signer Authentication and Verification Method	Set email plus SMS code or SSO for stronger attribution; consider KBA where higher assurance needed.
Retention and Access Controls Settings	Archive per 8 CFR §274a.2, restrict access to HR and compliance roles, enable audit exports.

Technical considerations for eSubmission and integrations

Digital I-9 processing requires integrations, supported formats, and signer authentication choices to maintain secure, auditable workflows across platforms.

Formats: PDF, DOCX accepted
Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace supported
Authentication: Email, SMS, KBA, or SSO options

Key timing rules and deadlines for the I-9

Key I-9 timing rules for hire verification, reverification, and retention help avoid penalties.

When To Complete I-9 After Hire:

Employer must complete Section 2 within three business days of hire; employee completes Section 1 by first day.

When To Reverify Work Authorization:

Reverify when temporary authorization expires; use Section 3 or a new Form I-9 as required.

Retention Minimums and Inspection:

Keep for three years after hire or one year after termination, whichever is later, available for DHS inspection.

Temporary Remote Inspection Procedures:

Follow the current USCIS guidance for any authorized remote inspection protocols or temporary flexibilities.

Audit Preparation:

Organize forms and supporting documents to respond promptly to government inspection requests.

Real-world examples of online I-9 workflows

Organizations of different sizes use digital processes to collect I-9s, adapt verification for field work, and maintain audit-ready records.

Martin Properties — Founder

Tim Martin needed to process on-site and remote hires for property management staff efficiently.

Adopted an online intake to collect I-9s and supporting documents securely.
"I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security. Whether on mobile or working offline, I can get forms back to their necessary parties efficiently."

Optica Ventures — COO

Optica needed a straightforward system for remote contractors and employees across states.

Implemented digital signing and centralized storage for I-9s.
"The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers."

Comparison: signNow and other eSignature vendors for I-9 workflows

Neutral comparison of common pricing and feature criteria for eSignature vendors used to collect and retain I-9 Forms; signNow is listed first per data conventions.

	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	Yes, 7-day free trial	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor	Varies by vendor
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies by plan
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

FAQs and solutions for common I-9 issues

Answers to frequent questions about timing, acceptable documents, remote inspection, retention, and audit readiness for the I-9 Form.

Need help? Contact support

When must an I-9 be completed?
Employees must complete Section 1 by the first day of employment; employers must complete Section 2 within three business days of hire. Retain the form as required by 8 CFR §274a.2 and make it available for government inspection.
Can an I-9 be completed remotely?
Physical inspection of original documents is generally required. Temporary remote inspection flexibilities have changed over time; follow current USCIS guidance or authorized representative procedures before relying on remote inspection.
Which documents are acceptable?
Accept documents from List A, or a combination of List B and List C, recording the document title, issuing authority, number, and expiration date exactly as shown on originals.
What if work authorization expires?
When temporary work authorization expires, employers must reverify authorization by completing Section 3 or executing a new Form I-9, documenting the new expiration or updated status.
How long must I keep I-9s?
Keep I-9s for three years after hire or one year after termination, whichever is later, per 8 CFR §274a.2. Longer retention may be required by state or industry rules.
What do auditors commonly find?
Frequent audit findings include missing signatures, blank fields, incorrect document entries, failure to reverify expired authorizations, and inability to produce forms during inspection.

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