Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification

Every employer must complete Form I-9 for every employee within 3 days of hire to verify their legal right to work in the United States. Employees provide documents from the I-9 approved list (passport, driver's license + Social Security card, etc.) — you must physically inspect the originals. Never complete the employer section before the employee provides documents, and never specify which documents an employee must provide. I-9 violations carry fines from $272 to $27,018 per violation.