U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced proposed revisions to the Form I-9. Employers must use the Form I-9 to verify the eligibility of employees to legally work in the United States. 

The USCIS also made the draft of the revised Form I-9 available to interested parties and invited public comment. 

The USCIS said key revisions to the form include:

• Expanded Form I-9 instructions and a revised layout.
• New, optional data fields to collect the employee’s email address and telephone number.
• New data fields to collect the foreign passport number and country of issuance. (Only aliens authorized to work in the U.S. who have also recorded their I-94 admission number on Form I-9 will need to provide the foreign passport number and country of issuance.)

Until the USCIS approves and posts a new version of the form, continue using the current Form I-9. 

Comments will be accepted until May 29, 2012. For information on submitting comments, visit the Federal Register notice published by the USCIS.

Author: Gail Cecchettini Whaley

HR Watchdog, HRCalifornia’s Employment Law Blog, © California Chamber of Commerce