Client Advisory: I-9 In-Person Employment Verification Deferred During COVID-19 Pandemic

Click here to read the full Client Advisory by Steptoe.

Due to COVID-19, we have seen a nationwide shift to remote work arrangements. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recognized the incompatibility of in-person employment-eligibility requirements with public health restrictions, and has therefore issued temporary accommodations to the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) compliance rules. These accommodations address the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) requirement mandating that employers review original employment eligibility verification documentation in the presence of the employee within three days of hiring any worker. In light of the unique national emergency, DHS is allowing employers to inspect Form I-9, Section 2 documents remotely (e.g., over video link, fax, or email) and to inspect and retain copies (rather than originals) of those documents until normal business operations resume.

For more information on these I-9 Employment Verification accommodations, click here to read Steptoe’s Client Advisory.