.png)
[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"></v:path> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"></o:lock> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:815.25pt; height:378pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\LMCMUL~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png" o:href="cid:image001.png@01D2C804.A6956A40"></v:imagedata> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif]
New Green Cards and Work Permits are About to Start Showing Up in your I-9s. It’s Time to Train Your I-9 Administrators and Update Your I-9 Training Manuals.
On May 8, 2017, USCIS held a Stakeholder Engagement training regarding new versions on I-9 acceptable documents. I and other Business Immigration Lawyers who train HR Professionals and in-house counsel at Corporate Immigration Compliance Institute attended this training. Below is a summary of what we learned regarding the new versions of Lawful Permanent Resident Cards and Employment Authorization Documents. For more details, please consider signing up for one of our updated training webinars. The best tool an employer has to avoid penalties for I-9 errors and potential discrimination claims is, simply put, timely training of I-9 administrators, and keeping records of such training. What We Learned in the USCIS Training: On May 1, 2017, USCIS started printing new versions of two documents commonly used in I-9s: the Lawful Permanent Resident card (green card), and the Employment Authorization Document (work permit.) Human Resources Managers and Corporate Immigration Compliance Officers should update their I-9 training manuals and ensure that all I-9 Administrators/everyone who handles I-9s within their organization receive updated training - they need to be ready for when a new employee presents one of these updated documents. A brief description of the new versions of each document is outlined below:
New Lawful Permanent Resident Card: The new version of the document remains mostly green in color. The photo of the individual is on the front and back of the document. The Statue of Liberty is the main graphic, in the middle of the card. The individual’s signature line and the black stripe is eliminated from the new card. The biological information remains in the same location. The document validity is still to be based on information printed on the front of the card.
New Employment Authorization Document: The new version of the document remains mostly red in color. The photo of the individual is on the front and back of the document. The bald eagle is the main graphic. The individual’s signature line is eliminated from the new card. The biological information remains in the same location. The document validity is still to be based on information printed on the front of the card.
With regard to both documents USCIS will continue to print the old version concurrently with the new version for a few months. Additional training information covered in the teleconference regarding E-verify and Save will be covered in a separate article.
What Should Employers Do?
Update your Corporate Immigration Compliance Plan, Policies and Procedures, and
Train everyone who administers I-9s on behalf of the employer
DISCLAIMER: This article does not contain any legal advice and does not create attorney-client relationship.
Leyla McMullen. Business Immigration Attorney MDIVANI CORPORATE IMMIGRATION LAW FIRM www.uslegalimmigration.com