U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today announced an extension of the flexibilities in rules related to Form I-9 compliance that was granted earlier this year. Due to the continued precautions related to COVID-19, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will extend this policy until Jan. 31, 2021.
On March 19, 2020, due to precautions implemented by employers and employees associated with COVID-19, DHS announced that it would exercise prosecutorial discretion to defer the physical presence requirements associated with the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) under section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This policy only applies to employers and workplaces that are operating remotely. If there are employees physically present at a work location, no exceptions are being implemented at this time for in-person verification of identity and employment eligibility documentation for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
Reference March 2020 guidance
Impacts
This guidance was implemented for 30 days and was set to expire December 31. Due to the continued precautions related to COVID-19, DHS has extended this policy until January 31, 2021
E-Verify participants who choose the remote inspection option should continue to follow current guidance and create cases for their new hires within three business days from the date of hire.
Please see the E-Verify website for additional information.
To learn more about how Form I-9 Compliance LLC can help your business, please contact us directly at 866.359.4949 or schedule a call to speak to one of our I-9 experts.
Source: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-announces-extension-i-9-compliance-flexibility-1
