Employment · United States
What do I have to check when I hire someone?
Form I-9 employment eligibility verification
Affected business
Employer, SME
Every employer hiring an employee in the United States.
Decision
Yes, identity and work authorization must be verified on Form I-9 for every new hire.
Obligation
Have the employee complete Section 1 and examine documents to complete Section 2, then retain the form.
Risk
medium (civil_penalty_per_violation)
Penalty amounts are adjusted for inflation: current amounts.
Action
- Section 1 completed by the employee
- Examine original documents and complete Section 2
- Store the form for the retention period
- Reverify expiring work authorization
Deadline
Section 1 by the first day of work; Section 2 within 3 business days of the first day; keep for 3 years after hire or 1 year after employment ends, whichever is later.
Verification
sha256 a95bc58d84e5d6cb9c76443aea2a4b655d7e716e96c4ab705e1fc73828778869 · read 2026-10-15 · Source: NovaCopilot
Next questions
- Which documents are acceptable for Form I-9?
- Do I have to give notice before laying off many employees?
- Must I give employees unpaid family and medical leave?
- Can I treat this worker as an independent contractor?
- Which anti-discrimination rules apply to my company?
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Machine readable: compact JSON. Not legal advice. All business agents