Phase 1 of 3 · Legal Hygiene
Form I-9
The federal paperwork that records a new hire's identity and authorization to work, filled out by the employer for anyone hired after November 6, 1986.
Section 1 on day one. Section 2 by day three. Keep the form.
In plain English
Every new employee must prove identity and work authorization on this form, and the employer must examine the documents in person or through an authorized alternative.
- What it looks like in business
- An owner means to finish the form next week, hires four people in a busy month, and later faces per form fines for late or incomplete files.
- Why it matters
- The duty is the same at five employees as at five thousand, and an audit compounds one miss across every hire.
Reading it once is not the same as knowing it. Put this term in the daily rotation and let the quiz come back for it.
Study this termWhere this comes from
8 U.S.C. § 1324a; 8 C.F.R. Part 274a
This is HR guidance, not legal advice, and rules change. Check the current text and your own facts before you act on it. When a situation needs a lawyer, Jennifer will say so.
Where it sits
Phase 1: Legal Hygiene
Stay legal without becoming a lawyer: the Texas and federal rules that still apply when the owner is the HR department.