The Form I-9 can feel confusing and at times even overwhelming. Here is an FAQ to help answer many questions people have when completing their I-9.
What is Form I-9?
Form I-9 is a federally mandated form used to verify the identity and work eligibility of new employees. Your employer is legally required to collect this form for all new employees.
What is the I-9 process?
Form I-9 has two parts.
The first part will be for you (the employee) to complete Section 1, which includes personal information and documentation to verify your identity and work eligibility.
The second part, Section 2, involves a third party physically reviewing your identity and/or work eligibility documents (e.g., driver's license, Social Security card, passport) to verify they appear genuine.
This may be handled by your employer (e.g., you report to an office, and a hiring manager reviews your documents) or remotely via remote authorization (where you designate your own third party to review your documents).
Employers cannot complete Section 2 on behalf of the employee unless they are physically present with the employee and acting as the authorized representative to review the documents. This ensures compliance with federal requirements and maintains the integrity of the verification process.
How do I complete Section 1?
Download the Completing Section 1 of the I-9 Guide for detailed instructions, including the personal information section, document requirements, document upload, and use of a Preparer/Translator.
What are common errors when completing Section 1?
You can download our Employee Section 1 FAQ to learn about common causes of document upload issues, accepted file types and sizes, and what error messages mean and how to navigate them.
What is Section 2 Authorized Representative review and verification?
This means your employer has designated you to complete Section 2 of Form I-9 with the help of another person of your choosing. This person is referred to as an “Authorized Representative” as they are representing your employer in the physical inspection of your hiring documents and attesting that they appear genuine and belong to you.
This flexibility allows remote employees to select a trusted individual who meets the age requirement, making the process accessible even without direct access to the employer's office.
Detailed instructions in the I-9 Section 2 Guide.
Who can I select as my Authorized Representative?
Your authorized representative must be 18 or older and have a mobile phone. Your employer may also require that you not be a relative, which will be included in the instructions when you begin the process. In California, notaries cannot act as authorized representatives for I-9 verification unless they are bonded immigration consultants. Always check state-specific requirements before selecting an authorized representative.
An authorized representative does not need specific qualifications or affiliations with the employer. Their primary role is to verify that the new hire's documents appear legitimate and to complete the required sections of the form.
What does the Authorized Representative do?
You and your authorized representative will meet in person to complete Section 2 of Form I-9. The system will guide you through the process, which will involve your selected third party reviewing the identity and/or work authorization documents you submitted in Section 1 and signing Section 2.
Employers who are physically present with the employee may also act as the authorized representative to complete Section 2, provided they follow the same compliance requirements.
The process is straightforward and typically takes only a few minutes, ensuring convenience for both the new hire and the representative.
This process is intended to ensure the documents submitted to prove your identity and work authorization appear genuine and belong to you. If no authorized representative is available, contact your employer for guidance.
If a new hire has trouble finding a representative, they can consider asking a trusted neighbor, community member, or another reliable person in their area.
Detailed instructions in the I-9 Section 2 Guide. To ensure accuracy and compliance, follow this checklist: review the USCIS I-9 Instructions, confirm the employee has original, unexpired documents, verify that Section 1 is completed, examine the documents in person, record the document details, and return the completed form to the employer.
How do I share my location during Section 2?
Check out this Sharing Location Guide for more information on enabling it on various devices.
I need to reverify my I-9 documents. How do I do this?
If your work authorization documents are about to expire, you will receive an email alert asking you to re-verify them. Follow the link in the reverification email and follow the instructions on the dashboard to complete the process. For detailed instructions with screenshots, see the Completing Reverification Guide.
How do I correct errors on my I-9?
Errors in Form I-9 or supporting documents can occur during the onboarding process and must be addressed promptly to ensure compliance. These errors may occur in Section 1, Section 2, Social Security Number (SSN) entries, or document uploads, and the correction process varies accordingly.
Section 1 Errors:
Incorrect SSN: The employee must complete a new I-9 form. Reject the existing submission so the employee can redo the form with the correct information.
Wrong Document Selection: If the wrong document type was selected, you can edit the document details:
Navigate to the employee's form.
Click 'Edit Documentation.'
Update the document title as needed and save the changes.
If the document image itself is incorrect, the employee must resubmit the section, which may require re-countersigning.
Section 2 Errors:
Incorrect Document Number: Edit Section 2 of the I-9 form to correct the document number. Refer to the detailed steps in the WorkBright Admins Help Center.
Wrong Document Classification: For example, if an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) was entered as a List C document instead of List A, update the classification in Section 2. If the error is in Section 1, the employee must submit a new form.
Fixing SSN Errors in Employee Profiles:
Update the SSN in the employee's profile under the Overview section.
Request a new I-9 submission to ensure the correct SSN appears on the form.
Employee Document Upload Troubleshooting:
Incorrect Document Upload: Employees can log back in to fix incorrectly uploaded documents.
Wrong Document Type: If the wrong type was selected during upload, reject the submission so the employee can resubmit. In some cases, errors can be corrected by editing Section 2 of the I-9 form.
Reopening an I-9 Form: If an employee initially submitted a receipt and now has the required document, you can reopen the I-9 form. Refer to the WorkBright Admins Help Center for step-by-step guidance on accepting the new document.
E-Verify Case Processing:
Correct the information within the E-Verify case if possible.
Alternatively, close the case and start a new one.