• Section 1 of the Form I-9 must be completed by the employee no later than the first day of work for pay, but not until the official offer and acceptance of employment are made.
• Employers should review Section 1 after the employee has completed it.
• It is the responsibility of the employer to make sure the employee completes Section 1 correctly.

Section 1 of the Form I-9 must be completed by the employee no later than the first day of work for pay.

If an employee is hired for three days or less, the whole form must be completed no later than the first day of work for pay.

Section 1 may be completed before the first day of work for pay. However, employers may not use the Form I-9 process to screen job applicants, so the entire form I-9 may not be completed until after an offer of employment has been made and accepted.

Section 1 checklist

After an employee completes Section 1, the employer should review the information to make sure:

• The employee has completed all required fields,
• The employee has signed and dated the form,
• The employee has provided a Social Security number (SSN) if the employer participates in E-Verify, and
• That a preparer or translator completed Supplement A, if applicable.

Section 1 errors to watch for

Section 1 includes identifying information about the employee. It also requires to employee to attest to whether the employee is a:

• U.S. citizen
• Noncitizen national
• Lawful permanent resident or
• Noncitizen authorized to work in the United States

Some of the more common errors made when completing Section 1 include the following:

• Having the employee complete the form prior to an accepted offer;
• Having the section completed late; and
• Writing a birth date next to the employee’s signature instead of the date signed.

The employee completes Section 1 of the Form I-9 by filling in the correct information and signing and dating the form, however, it is the employer’s responsibility to make sure all required fields are completed and that the information is clear and legible.