On May 29, 2012, AGC submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services division (USCIS) regarding proposed changes to Form I-9, the Employment Eligibility Verification Form. Employers must complete Form I-9 to document that they have verified the identity and employment authorization of each new employee hired after Nov. 6, 1986. The form must be completed for both citizens and non-citizens.
USCIS proposed several changes to the form and requested feedback on the proposed changes from employers and other stakeholders. Generally, the changes include expanded instructions, a new layout, new optional employee data fields including fields for an email address and telephone number, and other notable changes.
AGC applauded USCIS on its efforts to make Form I-9 easier to understand. However, with specific regard to the construction industry, AGC made the following recommendations:
- Make the Spanish version of Form I-9 available for use throughout the United States, not just in Puerto Rico;
- Clarify, on the form itself in addition to including in the instructions, circumstances that would result in the completion of section three of the form with regard to the re-verification and re-hiring of employees; and
- Extend the window of time allowed for employers to input data from Form I-9 into the E-Verify system.