Dive Brief:

• By Jan. 22, employers must start using the new Form l-9, says SHRM. The new form, dated 11/14/16, replaces the old version, dated 03/08/13. Old I-9 forms will be obsolete on Jan. 22, and failure to use the new forms could result in penalties. Employers aren’t required to complete the I-9 form for current workers.
• SHRM says that the new form is called “smart l-9” because it lets users fill in the form online before printing a hard copy and signing it.
• The old and new Form l-9 are similar with a few key differences. The amount of pages containing instructions for using the form doubled from six to 15. Users must insert “N/A” in sections they would normally leave blank. Also, the new form has space for up to five preparers or translators to sign and date, and employees now must check a box indicating whether they used a preparer or translator.

Dive Insight:

The form nearly doubled in page numbers, but that shouldn’t keep people from properly — and carefully — filling it out. In fact, attorney Montserrat Miller, a partner of Arnall Golden Gregory, told SHRM that the longer document guides users through the completion process and provides valuable information.

With President-elect Donald Trump’s tough stance on immigration, it may be more critical than ever to complete I-9 forms as meticulously as possible. Attorney Cynthia Lange, managing partner of immigration for Fragomen's Northern California law firm, told SHRM that a Trump administration will increase audits under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), hire new investigators and step up enforcement.