What You Need to Know About I-9 Employment Verification: How to Get Your Firm Ready for ICE

Today, many companies employ more diverse workforces. Do you have the up-to-date Form I-9 to prove that every employee in your firm is identified and verified to work in the U.S.?

If not, your company could face serious fines. HR professionals and business owners may know that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recently stepped up employer audits, and two printing firms have already been targeted this year. Luckily, the firms received advance notice from ICE about the audit and contacted Printing Industries’ Human Relations Department for help.   

Every day many companies are receiving an audit notification, or Notice of Inspection (NOI), from the ICE. When you receive this notice, you have only three days to produce the Forms I-9.

If you are unsure if your firm is prepared for ICE, read on!

Avoiding Problems with ICE

Unlike the kind brought on by freezing temperature, this type of ICE can be avoided easily by following a few easy steps to prepare. If you are an HR professional or business owner, taking the right precautions can make a big difference in whether you pass or fail a Form I-9 audit.

• Review the Fact Sheet: Form I-9 Inspection Overview to learn more about the audit process.
• If audited, you may be asked to provide supporting documentation, which may include a copy of the payroll, list of current employees, Articles of Incorporation, and business licenses.
• Have new hires? This video will help you ease the process and explain to your new employee why the Form I-9 is necessary and how to complete it.
• This Employee Information Sheet is also a useful tool to highlight the I-9 process for new hires (there’s a Spanish version available as well).
• You, as the employer, are responsible for completing sections two and three of the Form I-9. Find a video explaining the details of Section Two here and Section Three here.

Penalties You could Face