Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) is cracking down on employers who do not completely or correctly fill out the I-9 form when hiring employees. The goal is to reduce the number of illegal immigrants in the United States. With a focus on enforcement, ICE conducted 600% more audits on employers, collected over $7 million in fines and sent 196 people to jail in 2010.
What can you do to keep your company in compliance with the I-9 requirements? Here are just a few tips…
Ensure the employee completes section one in it’s entirety, including a check mark on the box indicating why they are eligible to work in the United States.
The employer completes section 2 & 3 using one item from List A or one item from List B and List C.
The employer cannot ask for specific forms from the lists.
The employee responsible for checking identification and completing the employer section must write out in full who issued the ID, what type it is, as well as the document number/ expiration.
Employees have to provide identification within 3 days of hire.
Employers must keep the I-9 on file for minimum of 3 years or 1 year from termination, which ever date is LATER. After this date the I-9 should be shredded.
Audit I-9 files regularly, looking for accuracy, expired immigration documents, and completeness.
ICE is auditing companies in all industries, of all sizes, and judging from the growth in audits, is not expected to slow down anytime soon. With fines ranging from $110-$1000 for noncompliance per incorrect or incomplete question on the document, can you afford to pay the price of best intentions?
Contact Alternative HR today to have an audit of your I-9′s completed or to receive I-9 training and recordkeeping guidance!
Comments on this entry are closed.