Radically simple remote I-9 verification

If you hire employees to work in the US, you must complete and retain a Form I-9 for each new hire. Employees need to complete Section 1 and provide official documentation. As the employer, you need to complete section 2 and verify that the documentation your employee has provided appears genuine and valid.

Yes, it’s completely possible to complete all your I9s remotely. If you use WorkBright, then your employees can fill in their I9 on their phone (or any digital device) and sign them. We’ve created a wizard with simplified instructions to guide them through the process. They can sign their form with their finger before sending it back to you.

Section 1 of Form I-9 must be completed by the employee by the end of their first day of employment. The employer must then complete Section 2 within three business days of the employee’s first day of work. To put this into perspective, think of the “Thursday Rule” - if an employee is hired on Monday, Section 2 of the I-9 form must be completed by the end of the day on Thursday.

Employees must verify both their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Acceptable documentation is split into three lists. Employers can accept one document from List A (identity and work authorization), or one from List B (identity) and one from List C (work authorization). List A documents like a passport prove both identity and work authorization, while List B and C documents, like a driver’s license and Social Security card respectively, separately verify identity and employment eligibility.

Remote I9 verification with software like WorkBright’s Smart I-9 increases hiring and onboarding speed for employers, reduces compliance risk, and provides a seamless, fast and stress-free onboarding process for new hires.

Our one-of-a-kind geo-validated review enables a convenient, compliant, and cost-effective I-9 remote verification.

Fast – No satellite office, notary, or trip to the office required. Your employee selects an accessible third-party to complete their document inspection.

Guided – We give easy-to-understand video instructions to the employee and authorized rep to ensure everything goes off without a hitch.

Compliant – WorkBright’s geo-validated review ensures the employee and authorized rep are physically together, including an audit trail of IP addresses, times, and location.

Risk-Free – We’ve worked with top employment law experts to ensure the process is 100% compliant and it’s fully indemnified, so there is no risk for employers.

Historically, the i-9 required work authorization and identity documents to be physically examined in person. As of August 1st, 2023, the government offers employers the option to view documents virtually if they are enrolled in E-Verify. This “alternative procedure” allows for remote examination of an employee’s Form I-9 documents provided an employer meets the program requirements.

Employers can manage I-9 verification for remote employees by either having the employee’s documents physically inspected by an authorized representative or at a satellite office of the employer. Alternatively, they may follow the Alternative Procedure (effective 08/01/2023) outlined by the Department of Homeland Security, ensuring all specific criteria are met for compliance

Instead of having your employees come into the office so you can check their documentation manually, you can use WorkBright to verify their documentation remotely. Employees can select a third party (like a friend or family member) to be an authorized representative and complete Section 2 of their I9 to verify the documentation. Our geo-validation technology lets you confirm that the employee and the authorized representative are physically together and gives you an audit trail so you can ensure compliance.

WorkBright’s Smart I-9 is the lightning-fast, error-free, and 100% compliant way to physically complete I-9 remote verification. We’ve simplified the I-9 for both employers and their new hires, guiding employees through section 1 with ease and enabling I-9 completion in under ten minutes!

An electronic I-9 form is compliant as long as it meets the regulatory requirements for documentation, retains a record of any actions taken on the form, allows for inspection of completed forms by authorized officials, and includes a reasonable audit trail.

Yes, electronic I-9 solutions can greatly improve compliance by reducing errors through features like error-checking, timeline reminders, advanced audit trails, and automatic updates for legal changes.

Anyone! The Department of Homeland Security does not require the authorized representative to have any particular qualifications, licensing, knowledge, experience, or affiliation with the employer. So it’s perfectly fine for your employee to choose a friend or relation to complete Section 2 of their I9.

Of course, we recognize your organization may want to tighten this definition. With WorkBright, you can put forward custom requirements for who can act as an authorized representative for your Form I-9s.

An electronic I-9 form is compliant as long as it meets the regulatory requirements for documentation, retains a record of any actions taken on the form, allows for inspection of completed forms by authorized officials, and includes a reasonable audit trail.

If an ICE audit or raid discovers that you’ve been non-compliant when handling I-9 employment forms, it can cost you thousands, or tens of thousands, of dollars.

The best way to remain compliant is to:

• Complete a Form I9 for every new hire within their first three days of work
• Avoid manual data errors, either by your HR team or by your new hires, and correct any errors promptly
• Retain copies of all ID and eligibility documentation, as well as a safely stored I9 for every new hire, for at least 3 years
• Maintain comprehensive audit logs covering all aspects of the I9 procedure, including third-party verification
• Protect sensitive employee data and store it securely

WorkBright makes this all easy. With best-in-class security, automated field validation, document correction workflows, audit trails for third-party verification, and easily reportable employee information, you can relax, knowing your I9s are always audit-ready!

An authorized representative acts on behalf of the employer to sign off on identity verification documents for Form I-9. This provision in the Form I-9 rules can be viewed in full on the USCIS website and allows the employer to designate anyone (except the new hire themselves) to review the I-9 form and identity documents, verify their authenticity to the best of their ability, and complete section 2 of the certification.

Any person approved by the employer can act as an authorized representative for I-9 verification, as long as they can examine the employment documents in the presence of the employee or during a virtual “Alternative Procedure” meeting. *Special restrictions apply in California with respect to an authorized representative.

The DHS policy is to never provide an official “stamp of approval” on a specific technology solution. However, we have meticulously designed our solution within DHS’s i9 online specifications.

Additionally, WorkBright consulted with many of the leading I-9 attorneys in the country, with over 25 years of experience in immigration law, to advise us during the development of i-9 verification for remote employees. We wanted to ensure that we would be above and beyond what is required for the authorized representative as well as the audit trail in case there is ever a question.

We have successfully processed more than 1.5 million I-9s with a flawless record. Our confidence in our solution is so high that we provide complete indemnification for it.

WorkBright maintains a comprehensive audit of all Form I-9 activities including timestamps, IP addresses, phone numbers and more. ICE is very comfortable working with electronic systems and it can greatly help expedite the process as compared to paper forms.

Currently Employed U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents:
As long as the individual is employed and their identity and work authorization was valid at their time of hire, the I-9 remains permanently valid. There’s no need to renew the I-9 or reverify work authorization.

For Employees with Expiring Work Authorization:
For employees with expiring work authorization documents, re-verification is required no later than the date of expiration noted in Section 1 or Section 2. The employer must re-verify the employee’s work authorization on Supplement B (formerly Section 3) and attach it to the original Form I-9.

Former Employees:
Employers must retain a terminated employee’s I-9 for either three years after the date of hire or one year after the date employment ended, whichever is later. After this retention period, the I-9 forms can be purged. We do recommend checking with state law to determine if there are any specific requirements to retain the I-9 form for a longer period of time based on a state’s document retention law/regulation.