As every HR professional knows, I-9 forms are a necessity in today’s
business world. Every employee a business hires must complete an I-9
form in order to verify their identity and authorization to work in
the United States. Not only must the form be completed, but the
documents shown as proof must be verified in person.
So, what’s a company to do when they work in one state and the employee
they’ve recently hired works in another state? The HR experts at
Support Center have the answer.
Question:
We’ve hired some new employees who live and will work out of state. How
do I handle the validation of the required I-9 documents?
Answer from Eric, HR Pro:
I-9 forms present a challenge to employers who hire remote employees.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires that
all documents required for the I-9 must be viewed in their original
format. Therefore, a fax or scan is not acceptable. Instead, the
original documents must be in-hand when the I-9 is completed and signed
by a company representative.
Here are a few options, each of which must be done within three days
of the new hire beginning work:
- Have the new hire’s manager or other person responsible for I-9verification in your office travel to the remote location and completethe I-9. This person should carry out full I-9 responsibilities,completing all sections of the I-9.
- Have the new hire travel to your location for onboarding and training,and complete the I-9 during that time.
- Find someone to act as an authorized company representative for thisone-time purpose of verifying documentation and completing the I-9. Thisrepresentative may be any individual, although notaries public are themost common choice. Be aware that some notaries cannot or will not sign
Section 2 due to state notary regulations. If a notary does act as your
representative, they should not apply their seal on the Form I-9.
Whatever route you choose, remember that you remain liable for any
violations in connection with the I-9 form or the verification
process. Whenever possible, we recommend bringing new employees to
your main location for paperwork, onboarding, and training.
Eric
has extensive experience in HR, management, and training. He has held
several senior HR positions, including as the HR & Operations Manager
for an award-winning interactive marketing agency and as HR Director for
a national law firm. Eric graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in
Economics from the University of Oregon with a minor in Business
Administration. Eric is also active in the community, volunteering with
the regional Human Resources Management Association Advocacy Team and
with youth training programs.
Do you have an effective onboarding process at your organization? Paycor
can help you
onboarding online, with electronic forms completion and other great
features.
us to learn more, and then check out our
onboarding checklist for more great tips.