At a glance

  • Employers should continue using the current version of Form I-9 (07/17/17 edition) to verify work authorization, despite the form's August 31 expiration date, according to USCIS.
  • An extension of the current Form I-9 – with no expected substantive changes – is currently under formal review. The new form will not take effect until it clears the federal approval process and is released for public use.

The issue

The current version of the I-9 employment eligibility form will remain in use beyond its August 31, 2019 expiration date.  USCIS announced that employers should continue to use the current version of the form – which bears an edition date of July 17, 2017 – until further notice.

An extension of the current Form I-9 has been pending with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) since August 21, 2019.  The new version is not expected to contain substantive changes, and will not take effect until it clears the federal approval process, which can take several months.

Fragomen is closely monitoring the extension of Form I-9 and will provide further updates as developments occur. 

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.