List of documents acceptable for completion of the I-9 process
(Note that this list of documents changed in 1997 and was again corrected in 1999)
List A
The Following documents are acceptable as evidence of both identity and employment eligibility as long as they appear to be genuine and relate to the individual:
- United States passport (unexpired or expired);
- Alien Registration Reciept Card or Permanent Residence Card, Form I-551;
- An unexpired foreign passport that contains an I-551 stamp;
- An unexpired Employment Authorization Document issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) which contains a photograph, Form I-766; Form I-688A or Form I-688B;
- In the case of a non-immigrant alien authorized to work for a specific employer incident to status, an unexpired foreign passport with an Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94, bearing the same name as the passport and containing an endorsement of the alien's non-immigrant status, so long as the period of endorsement has not yet expired and the proposed employment is not in conflict with any restrictions or limitations identified on the Form I-94.
List B
The following documents are acceptable to establish identity only:1) For individuals 16 years of age or older:
- A driver's license or identification card containing a photograph, issued by a state (as defined in section 101(a)(36)of the Act) or an outlying possession of the United States (as defined by section 101(a)(29) of the Act). If the driver's license or identification card does not contain a photograph, identifying information shall be included such as: name, date of birth, sex, height, color of eyes, and address;
- School identification card with a photograph;
- Voter's registration card;
- U.S. military card or draft record;
- Identification card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies or entities; If the identification card does not contain a photograph, identifying information shall be included such as: name, date of birth, sex, height, color of eyes, and address;
- Military dependent's identification card;
- Native American tribal documents;
- (viii)United States Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card;
- (ix)Driver's license issued by a Canadian government authority
2) For individuals under age 18 who are unable to produce a document listed in paragraph (b)(1)(v)(B)((1)) of this section, the following documents are acceptable to establish identity only:
- School record or report card;
- Clinic doctor or hospital record;
- Daycare or nursery school record.
3) Minors under the age of 18 who are unable to produce one of the identity documents listed in paragraph (b)(1)(v)(B)((1)) or ((2)) of this section are exempt from producing one of the enumerated identity documents if:
The minor's parent or legal guardian completes on the Form I-9 Section 1--"Employee Information and Verification" and in the space for the minor's signature, the parent or legal guardian writes the words, "minor under age 18." The minor's parent or legal guardian completes on the Form I-9 the "Preparer/Translator certification." The employer or the recruiter or referrer for a fee writes in Section 2--"Employer Review and Verification" under List B in the space after the words "Document Identification #" the words, "minor under age 18." 4) Individuals with handicaps, who are unable to produce one of the identity documents listed in paragraph (b)(1)(v)(B)((1)) or ((2)) of this section, who are being placed into employment by a nonprofit organization, association or as part of a rehabilitation program, may follow the procedures for establishing identity provided in this section for minors under the age of 18, substituting where appropriate, the term "special placement" for "minor under age 18", and permitting, in addition to a parent or legal guardian, a representative from the nonprofit organization, association or rehabilitation program placing the individual into a position of employment, to fill out and sign in the appropriate section, the Form I-9. For purposes of this section the term individual with handicap s means any person who:
- Has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities,
- Has a record of such impairment, or
- Is regarded as having such impairment.
List C
The following are acceptable documents to establish employment authorization only:(1) A social security number card other than one which has printed on its face "not valid for employment purposes";
(2) A Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State, Form FS-545;
(3) A Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State, Form DS-1350;
(4) An original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a State, county, municipal authority or outlying possession of the United States bearing an official seal;
(5) Native American tribal document;
(6) United States Citizen Identification Card, INS Form I-197;
(7) Identification card for use of resident citizen in the United States, INS Form I-179;
(7) An unexpired employment authorization document issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Special rules for receipts
Except as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(iii) of this section, unless the individual indicates or the employer or recruiter or referrer for a fee has actual or constructive knowledge that the individual is not authorized to work, an employer or recruiter or referrer for a fee must accept a receipt for the application for a replacement document or a document described in paragraphs (b)(1)(vi)(B)((1) and (b)(1)(vi)(C)((1) of this section in lieu of the required document in order to comply with any requirement to examine documentation imposed by this section, in the following circumstances:(A) Application for a replacement document. The individual:
(1) Is unable to provide the required document within the time specified in this section because the document was lost, stolen, or damaged;
(2) Presents a receipt for the application for the replacement document within the time specified in this section; and
(3) Presents the replacement document within 90 days of the hire or, in the case of reverification, the date employment authorization expires; or
(B) Form I-94 indicating temporary evidence of permanent resident status. The individual indicates in section 1 of the Form I-9 that he or she is a lawful permanent resident and the individual:
(1) Presents the arrival portion of Form I-94 containing an unexpired "Temporary I-551" stamp and photograph of the individual, which is designated for purposes of this section as a receipt for Form I-551; and
(2) Presents the Form I-551 by the expiration date of the "Temporary I-551" stamp or, if the stamp has no expiration date, within 1 year from the issuance date of the arrival portion of Form I-94; or
(C) Form I-94 indicating refugee status. The individual indicates in section 1 of the Form I-9 that he or she is an alien authorized to work and the individual:
(1) Presents the departure portion of Form I-94 containing an unexpired refugee admission stamp, which is designated for purposes of this section as a receipt for the Form I-766, Form I-688B, or a social security account number card that contains no employment restrictions; and
(2) Presents, within 90 days of the hire or, in the case of verification, the date employment authorization expires, either an unexpired Form I-766 or Form I-688B, or a social security account number card that contains no employment restrictions, and a document described under paragraph (b)(1)(v)(B) of this section.
If an individual's employment authorization expires, the employer, recruiter or referrer for a fee must reverify on the Form I-9 to reflect that the individual is still authorized to work in the United States; otherwise the individual may no longer be employed, recruited, or referred. Reverification on the Form I-9 must occur not later than the date work authorization expires. In order to reverify on the Form I-9, the employee or referred individual must present a document that either shows continuing employment eligibility or is a new grant of work authorization. The employer or the recruiter or referrer for a fee must review this document, and if it appears to be genuine and to relate to the individual, reverify by noting the document's identification number and expiration date on the I-9