SHRM: Employers Frustrated by Return of In-Person Review of I-9s for Remote Employees by Allen Smith

Happy to be quoted in this article by SHRM's Compliance Attorney. Reprinted with SHRM's approval.

The imminent resumption of the requirement for employers to physically inspect the I-9s of remote employees is causing whiplash among some employers. They worry about the revived mandate's cost and inconvenience, despite the possibility of using a third-party representative to examine work authorization documents.

Employers that began conducting employment eligibility verification virtually during the pandemic are being told to start physical inspections of completed I-9 forms as soon as possible in anticipation of an Aug. 30 deadline. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that the pandemic-era flexibility extended to the Form I-9 process is coming to an end July 31, followed by a 30-day grace period to comply with physical Form I-9 document inspection requirements. This means employers that were conducting the I-9 process virtually during the pandemic will be required to conduct a physical inspection of original documents related to those prior virtual I-9 completions by Aug. 30.

The original post can be read here.