BUSINESS OWNERS KNOW that the Employee Eligibility Verification form (Form I-9) is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of their employees. During the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) relaxed certain restrictions on I-9 forms. This allowed employers the flexibility to complete the form virtually.

Both the DHS and ICE have mandated that employers had until August 30, 2023, to conduct a physical inspection of identity and employment eligibility documents of any virtually filed documents. Continuum Advantage was following this and other developments on an updated version of this form. As of this writing, they have released that new version of the I-9 Form dated 8/1/2023 that can be used for remove verification going forward – provided you follow certain steps.

As of this writing, employers may continue using the 2019 version of the form through October 31, 2023. You can check the lower left corner of the form to see which one you have. Then you from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services site:

• Enroll in E-Verify
• Remotely examine your employee’s I-9 documents via live video.
• Select the Form I-9 to use and annotate
1. If you use the Form I-9 dated 08/01/23, check the box in the Additional Information field.
2. b. If you use the Form I-9 dated 10/21/2019, write ‘Alternative Procedure” in the Additional Information field. (Remember you can only use this version of the form until October 31st, 2023.)
• Retain all document copies with I-9, including those you examine remotely with the employee’s Form I-9.
• Create a case in E-Verify.

While these new procedures do streamline hiring processes, especially for remote work, Continuum Advantage knows that staying on top of changes like this isn’t always business owner’s preferred activity. Our services keep you abreast of ongoing updates to labor laws so you can focus on what you do best. Subsequently, if you have any questions on the reviews that were due August 30th or navigating this new I-9 form with a built-in remote verification option, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at HR@continuumadv.com!