The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently posted sample Form I-9s on its I-9 Central website, showing employers how to notate Form I-9 when remotely inspecting employment authorization and identity documents and then subsequently performing the required physical inspection once normal operations resume. This guidance was issued in connection with the updated I-9 compliance requirements for employers impacted by COVID-19.
As a way of background, on March 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would defer the physical presence requirements associated with the processing of Form I-9 employment eligibility verification for employees. On May 19, 2020, DHS extended this policy for an additional 30 days. However, due to continued COVID 19 precautions, DHS extended this policy once again until July 19, 2020.
