As of April 3, 2009, all U.S. employers must use a new version of the Form I-9 (dated 2-2-09), to verify the work eligibility of new hires. Here’s what you need to know about the new form:

Employers can no longer accept expired documents

Previously, the U.S. passport and all List B documents were acceptable, even if expired.

This latest version of the I-9 form includes a revised “List A” set of documents

List A documents are those that establish both a worker’s identity and employment authorization. The following documents have been added: Foreign passports containing the I-551 permanent residence notation printed on a machine-readable immigrant visa; the new U.S. Passport Card; passports and certain other documents for citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Certain documents have been removed from List A

The following documents have been eliminated from List A: Forms I-688 (temporary resident card) and the I-688A and I-688B (Employment Authorization Cards) which are no longer issued.

Several changes were also made to Section 1 of the I-9 form

Section 1 is where the employee provides biographic information and attests to his or her employment status. In particular, the form has been revised to include a separate section for non-citizen nationals of the U.S., such as persons born in American Samoa; certain former citizens of the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; and certain children of noncitizen nationals born abroad.

The new form is available on the USCIS web site here: http://www.uscis.gov/i-9.

As before, the new I-9 form can be completed electronically

Employers should consider switching over to an electronic I-9 solution, such as Tracker I-9, which offers built-in compliance rules and peace of mind in knowing that you’re always using the latest version of the I-9.