Beginning May 7th, employers are required to use a revised, two-page I-9 Form for all new hires. With immigration reform on the front burner in Washington, D.C., Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may increase the number of companies it audits. Employers who fail to comply with the new form will be subject to significant fines and penalties. Your Human Resources Department should be familiar with the new regulation and instructions on how and when to complete the three sections of the form.
ICE audits employers to identify and prosecute those who consciously hire illegal workers. Even an employer that doesn’t have illegal aliens on its workforce can still receive steep penalties for failure to properly complete or retain the correct forms, according to www.ice.gov. It is just as important to retain the documentation for the required periods as it is to ensure it is obtained before hiring employees. The civil fines in this area are steep and can be as much as $1,100 per form for failure to comply with the I-9 requirements. As an employer, review your policies to be sure that your company is compliant. This will safeguard against unnecessary fines and penalties.