Completing Section 1, Employee Information and Verification

An employer completing Form I-9 must make available to the employee the instructions to the form and the List of Acceptable Documents. Newly hired employees must complete and sign Section 1 of Form I-9 no later than the first day of work for pay. Employers may have employees complete Form I-9:

• On the first day of work for pay.
• Before the first day of work, if the employer has offered the individual a job and if the prospective employee has accepted it.

Employees can have help completing Section 1, including using a translator. 

Employee Responsibilities for Section 1

Employees must provide their:

• Full legal name.
  • If they have two last names (family names), include both. If the person hyphenates his or her last names, include the hyphen (-) between the names.
  • If they have two first names (given names), include both. If the person hyphenates his or her first names, include the hyphen (-) between the names.
  • Includes the middle initial, if applicable.
• Maiden name, if applicable 
• Current address, including street name and number (no P.O. Box), city, state and ZIP code.
• Date of birth. 
• Social Security number. (This is optional unless the employer uses E-Verify and the individual has been issued a number.)
• Citizenship or employment-authorized immigration status, and (if applicable) Alien or Admission number and the date employment authorization expires.  
• Signature and date.

Employees must sign the form even if a preparer or translator helps them. The preparer or translator who helps the employee must provide his or her name, address, and signature, and date the form.

The date of the employee’s signature should match the date of the preparer/translator’s signature.

Employer Responsibilities for Section 1

Employers must:

• Review the information the employee provided in Section 1.
• Ensure that the employee provided information in all required fields.

(Note: Employees are not required to provide a Social Security number in Section 1. However, a social security number may be required if the employer uses E-Verify.)

• Ensure the employee signed and dated the form.
• Ensure the Preparer/Translator section has been completed, signed, and dated if employee used a preparer/translator.

In addition: 

• Employers should note whether employees indicate in Section 1 that their employment authorization will expire.
• Employers may need to reverify an employee’s authorization when his or her employment authorization expires. Employers may want to remind employees, at least 90 days before their employment authorization expires, that they will need to present a List A or List C document to show continued employment authorization for reverification purposes. Employees would need to present these documents on the date their current employment authorization expires.

Note that the expiration date for employment authorization provided by the employee in Section 1 may or may not match the expiration date of the List A or List C document the employee presents for Section 2, Employer Review and Verification.

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