I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification
The form every employer in the United States must complete for every new hire to check identity and work authorization. The worker fills in Section 1 and shows documents; the employer examines them and completes Section 2. It is never filed with USCIS - it is kept by the employer and produced if ICE serves a Notice of Inspection.
- Fee
- $0
- Fee waiver
- Not available
- Who files
- Employers, for every employee hired after November 6, 1986. Employees complete their own section.
- Where to file
- Retained by the employer, not filed. Kept for three years after hire or one year after employment ends, whichever is later.
Part of these processes
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- ICE worksite enforcement and I-9 audits rose sharply through 2025 and 2026. The 01/20/25 edition is the current one; E-Verify participation adds a separate step and its own case-closure obligations.
Official page. https://www.uscis.gov/i-9. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.