Updated I-9 form mandatory beginning Jan. 22

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a new version of the Form I-9 that will be mandatory beginning Jan. 22. Until then, either version of the Form I-9 is acceptable. The updated version is linked from the UFHR Forms page. The GatorStart/electronic onboarding version will be updated before Jan. 21.

The new Form I-9 does not change the list of work authorization documents. All current I-9 deadlines remain intact: employees must complete Section 1 on or before their first day of employment, and Section 2 must be completed and the I-9 must be submitted to E-Verify no later than the third day after the employee begins work.

Below are some of the changes found in the new version:

• Employees only need to provide other last names used in Section 1, rather than all names used
• A PO Box can be used for the address in Section 1 (Section 2 must contain a street address)
• The certification in Section 1 for certain foreign nationals takes less time to complete
• Employees must check a box under the signature line to indicate if they have or have not used a preparer/translator (This could be the most easily missed section of the new form)
• There are additional spaces to enter multiple preparers and translators
• Citizenship/immigration status is required at top of page 2 – please enter the number associated with the citizenship status from Section 1

The new Form I-9 pdf/electronic form has become a “smart form,” and the advantages of/changes to the electronic form are:

• Certain fields are checked to ensure information is entered correctly
• Certain fields are automatically populated based on information entered elsewhere on the form
• Drop-down lists and calendars
• On-screen instructions users can access to complete each field
• Buttons at the top of each page that enable users to access the general instructions electronically, print the form and clear the form to start over
• Some form options may be labeled differently in Section 3

When a paper Form I-9 is required (i.e., for foreign nationals and distance hires), UFHR advises departments to use the pdf/electronic version. If the employee has previously completed Section 1, Section 2 should be completed via the “smart form” version. After completing the pdf/electronic Form I-9, click the Print button, then sign where indicated, as an electronic signature is not acceptable on a paper Form I-9 for either the employee or the person who has completed Section 2. The completed paper Form I-9 must be submitted to E-Verify through I-9 Management.

The accompanying Form I-9 website, toolkits and the I-9 Form Resource Guide will be updated by Jan. 21. If you have any questions or issues, please contact Recruitment & Staffing at (352) 392-2477 or employment@ufl.edu.