By John Fay
At first glance, Form I-9 may seem like just another employee form, but looks can be deceiving. Form I-9 requirements can be exceedingly complex for HR representatives, hiring managers, new hires, and others involved in the verification process. It’s rules continue to evolve at a rapid pace and employers are being held to a higher standard than ever before. The degree of difficulty for the Form I-9 process can seem to go up another level when trying to remotely examine the documents of your new hire. Should you do it in-house or outsource it? Should your new hires complete them in-person or virtually? The choices and changes can make your head spin.
One significant evolution to consider came to us in August 2023, courtesy of a rule change from the Department of Homeland Security. This so-called “alternative procedure” for examining documents enables qualifying employers to virtually examine I-9 documentation without ever meeting in-person with the newly hired employee. For those of you who employ remote workers and may have been struggling to onboard them in recent years, this change may sound like a slam dunk. This new process could offer a lot of potential benefits that might help improve your accuracy and onboarding efficiency, as long as you can support all of the new requirements and process steps that are involved. That’s right, included with this exciting new development are new rules, regulations, and processes.
But, have no fear, we’re here to help you make sense of it all. When it comes to the ever-evolving world of I-9, we could all use a little education. And that’s exactly what our new eBook does. In the tradition of the Wiley for Dummies book brand - Remote Form I-9 for Dummies - can help you navigate through the often confusing, and changing, government rules for onboarding a new hire remotely, wherever they may be.
Gain greater insight on:
Understanding remote Form I-9 rules and requirements
Examining Form I-9 documentation
Using an authorized representative
Evaluating the Form I-9 virtual option
Helping avoid remote Form I-9 mistakes
Download it now!
To help employers better meet these new requirements for remote Form I-9 verifications, Equifax does offer a virtual component of its award-winning I-9 Anywhere® solution. If you’re interested in learning more about this service or have questions about the virtual I-9 process visit workforce.equifax.com/solutions/i-9-anywhere.
Prefer to do your learning by reading books you can physically hold and turn the pages by hand? You’re in luck! Stop by our booth at SHRM (#) to get your own hard copy, while supplies last.
The information provided is intended as general guidance and is not intended to convey any tax, benefits, or legal advice. For information pertaining to your company and its specific facts and needs, please consult your own tax advisor or legal counsel. Equifax Workforce Solutions provides services that can help employers reduce their compliance risks. Details on our provision of these services and related support will be contained in your services agreement. Links to sources may be to third party sites. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.
About the Author
Job Title: Director of Product Strategy
John Fay is an attorney and technologist with a deep applied knowledge of business immigration, I-9, and E-Verify rules and procedures. During his 20-plus-year career, he has worked closely with corporations, educational institutions, and government agencies on a variety of U.S. immigration and I-9/E-Verify issues, often in connection with the use of software and case management technology. He is a frequent speaker on corporate immigration compliance, presenting at various employment and immigration conferences throughout the U.S. During the past decade, he has spoken in more than 300 live and virtual presentations on I-9 and E-Verify topics, often serving as the moderator. He is also a prolific writer on both I-9 and E-Verify, authoring more than 500 articles for human resources professionals and related associations.