How to Fill Out I-9 Form in 2024 (Step-by-Step)

Have you gotten a new job these days? If yes, you need to complete an I-9 form within three days of your hire date (the first day of work for pay). It will confirm your eligibility to work in the US. However, if you are a new employee, you may get overwhelmed when asked to complete the I-9 form. 

So, given that, we will provide you with an ultimate guide to help you complete the I-9 form correctly. Whether you are an employer or employee, you both can fill out the I-9 form effortlessly by checking this post. Now, let's get started!

What Is an I-9 Form?

Form I9, also called Employment Eligibility Verification Form, is a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services form. It is used to verify all paid employees' identities and legal authorization to work in the United States. Every employee at a company has to complete the I-9 form, whether they are a U.S. citizen or not, and then filed by both the employee and the employer. If not, you may face fines and other consequences for violations.

This kind of form is divided into three parts: the employee needs to complete the first section, and the employers have to fill out the last two sections.

Usually, the employee and employer must complete the I-9 form within three business days of the employee's start date. Once done, the employer needs to retain the form, either on paper or electronically, for three years after the employee's start date or one year after the last day of employment because the government officials may perform an audit of your business to check that the employer is operating within the law.

Who Needs to Complete the I-9 Form?

As we talked about before, all the employees need to complete the I-9 form. According to the USCIS, the "employee" refers to someone who performs work in return for pay or remuneration, which means any other compensation such as food, lodging, etc.

If you belong to one of the following, you don't need to fill out the I-9 form:

• Temporary workers hired by an agency
• Employees are not working on U.S. soil
• Independent contractors
• ...

How to Fill out I-9 Form (Step-by-Step Guide)

Now, you must have a basic understanding of the I-9 form, so in this part, we will dive into deeper and show you how to fill out the I-9 form with a step-by-step guide. Most of you like to fill out the PDF form electronically, so if you are going to complete the electronic I-9 form, you'd better get an excellent PDF form filler first. Here we recommend EaseUS PDF Editor.

It is a fantastic PDF form filler for Windows users, which lets you enter data in blank text fields, create checkboxes, and even add your signatures to your form easily. In addition, this PDF editing software offers a wide range of editing tools to help you modify your PDF documents in the way you want. Now, just click the below button to get it!

Once you install the PDF form filer, you can start filling out the I-9 form with the below instructions:

Step 1. Fill out the Section 1 - Employee Information and Attestation (for Employee)

You should complete Section 1 of Form I-9 no later than the first day of employment, but not before accepting a job offer. In this section, you need to provide all the details of your identification, including the full name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, telephone number, Email address, etc. Then you need to sign and date the form.

Note: If a translator assists you in completing Section 1, he or she also needs to provide the name, address, signature, and date.

Step 2. Complete Section 2 - Employer or Authorized Representative Review and Verification (for Employer)

Before filling out Section 2, the employer needs to check all the information in Section 1. 

Once checked, you need to fill in the document title, issuing authority, number, and expiration date based on the employee's document. Also, you need to fill in your employee's start date at the bottom of this section, your basic information, date it, and sign finally. 

Step 3. Fill in the Section 3 - Reverification and Rehires (for Employer)

Actually, the employer does not need to fill out section 3 for every employee. As an employer, you only need to complete the section in the following situation:

• Reverify employment authorization for current employees
• Reverify or update employment authorization for rehired employees
• Record name changes or other identity information for current employees

Step 4. Store the I-9 Form (for Employer)

Once you have completed Section 2 and Section 3, you need to take regard to the I-9 form is to ensure that you keep it safely in your records instead of filing it with USCIS. 

The Bottom Line

Whether you are an employee or employer, you always need to fill out the I-9 form. On this page, we have talked about some basic information about the I-9 form, and also provide a tutorial to fill out the I-9 form. We hope it will be helpful when you need to deal with the I-9 form!