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Employers today have an ever-growing to-do list to keep their companies in good standing, but perhaps one of the most important items on that list is ensuring I-9 compliance. This one-page legal document which is required of every employee in America must be completed correctly and maintained properly for an employer to stay compliant. Without I-9 compliance, an employer is at risk of severe penalties that could negatively affect their company’s bottom line. What is the Form I-9 and Why do Employers Need to be Compliant Every employer in the United States of America is required by law to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of each member in their workforce via the Form I-9. There are three main parts to a Form I-9. By the first day of employment, an employee is responsible for filling out section one of the Form I-9 with their personal information and attesting that it is true.  Within three days of an employee’s start date, an employer must examine and vouch for the authenticity of required I-9 documents that show an employee’s eligibility for employment.
Section three is for employers to complete in the case that an employee’s name is legally changed, the employee’s work authorization expires, or the employee is rehired within three years of the date on the Form I-9.
The importance of being I-9 compliant extends well beyond the fact that it’s the law, it can also mean avoiding expensive penalties. If a company is found not to be I-9 compliant, the company can be subject to hefty fines that can affect its bottom line. Particularly for smaller companies, large fines could even put the existence of the business on the line. Most Form I-9 penalties are incurred in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) audit or ICE raid. If a notice of inspection is provided by ICE, companies generally have three days to produce the required paperwork. An ICE raid does not typically provide a company with any warning or lead time for paperwork. During the last few years, ICE worksite investigations regarding I-9 compliance have almost quadrupled. With this increase, companies must be more vigilant in their I-9 record-keeping than ever before.