| Employers are facing increasing pressure not to | | | | get fined heavily. It is very important that each |
| employ illegal or undocumented workers. Company | | | | section of the Form I-9 be completed as instructed. |
| management needs to recognize that hiring only | | | | Employers are required to maintain a Form I-9 for all |
| American citizens and authorized workers is a sound | | | | current employees, irrespective of their national origin |
| business practice. But sometimes the details of Form | | | | or citizenship. In addition, employers must carefully |
| I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification compliance can be | | | | retain these I-9 Forms in their own Form I-9 file. |
| tricky. During more than 4 decades as an immigration | | | | Keeping the I-9 Forms in personnel files is not |
| attorney, I have lectured and given seminars to many | | | | appropriate. |
| business associations, including hotels, restaurants, ski | | | | Form I-9 compliance is very complex . Clerical errors |
| resorts, agricultural groups and construction companies | | | | and omissions can quickly add up to considerable fines. |
| in an effort to give employers a better understanding | | | | As a short test of your company's I-9 policies and |
| of Form I-9 compliance. | | | | procedures, can you answer the following questions? |
| The law requires employers to protect our national | | | | 1) Who observes the prospective employee |
| heritage of legal immigration and to preserve jobs for | | | | complete Section 1 of the Form I-9? |
| those who are legally entitled to them. The law also | | | | 2) Who observes the prospective employee's |
| prohibits any discrimination on the basis of foreign | | | | physical appearance and documents to ascertain they |
| appearance, language or name. There are serious | | | | appear to be the documents of the individual who is |
| civil and criminal penalties for employers who violate | | | | applying? |
| the law. | | | | 3) Can an applicant complete the form without |
| The purpose of the Form I-9 is to allow the employer | | | | including the social security number? |
| to verify the employee's identity and work eligibility | | | | 4) Where do you store the date of termination? |
| without treating people differently because they look | | | | 5) What do you do when an employee changes their |
| or sound foreign. Treat all prospective employees | | | | name for payroll purposes? |
| and current employees the same when trying to | | | | 6) How are you storing the identity documents |
| comply with the Employer Sanctions Law. | | | | produced by the applicant? |
| Employers must be very careful to make sure the | | | | The attorneys at Allott Immigration Law Firm are |
| Form I-9 is completed correctly. Many employers | | | | experts in Form I-9 compliance. Don't put your |
| believe it is sufficient for the employee to sign the I-9 | | | | company at risk by underestimating the importance of |
| Form and for the employer to make copies of the | | | | the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. |
| identity documents presented. This is a good way to | | | | |