How does Form I-9 work for newcomers in the United States in 2026?

Complete Section 1 no later than your first day of work for pay. You attest to your citizenship or immigration status category on the form. Providing a Social Security number (SSN) is voluntary on the form unless your employer uses E-Verify, in which case the SSN is required. Never enter an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in the SSN field.

The employer or an authorized representative must examine your original documents and finish Section 2 within three business days after you start. You choose which acceptable documents to present. The employer may not demand a specific document if what you offer is on the official Lists of Acceptable Documents and reasonably appears genuine.

List A documents show both identity and employment authorization. Common List A examples for newcomers include an unexpired foreign passport with a temporary I-551 print or notation, a Permanent Resident Card, or an Employment Authorization Document (EAD, Form I-766). Some List A combinations use a foreign passport with Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) that shows work-authorized nonimmigrant status, such as certain H-1B entries.

If you do not present List A, you present one List B identity document and one List C employment authorization document. List B examples include a state driver's licence or state ID card. List C examples include an unrestricted Social Security card or certain Department of Homeland Security employment authorization documents that are not the EAD itself. All documents must be unexpired unless USCIS rules create a listed exception.

Employers enrolled in E-Verify who receive List B plus List C must see a List B document with a photograph. E-Verify is a separate online system that checks Form I-9 information against government records. Not every employer uses it. A case result is not a visa approval and does not replace USCIS petitions.

Know your status documents before day one: passport, visa foil, I-94 printout from the Customs and Border Protection site, EAD, or green card as applicable. If your work permission has an end date, the employer may need to reverify later using Supplement B. Keep USCIS address updates current so replacement cards arrive.

Form I-9 does not replace labour condition applications, petition approvals, or state tax forms. It also does not enroll you in health insurance.