New Passport Card Valid for I-9 Employment Verification
Aug. 8, 2008
The list of acceptable documents for I-9 employment verification has changed once again. Now that the State Department is issuing passport cards to simplify land border crossings, USCIS has announced that the new cards may be presented by employees as a valid list A document to confirm identity and employment eligibility. The USCIS announcement follows:
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WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is informing the public that the new U.S. Passport Card may be used in the Employment Eligibility Verification form (I-9) process.
Last month, the Departments of State and Homeland Security announced that the new passport card was in full production. The new card provides a less expensive and more portable alternative to the traditional passport book, and will expedite document processing at United States land and sea ports-of-entry for U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
While the new card is more limited in its uses for international travel (e.g., it may not be used for international air travel), it is a valid passport that attests to the U.S. citizenship and identity of the bearer. Accordingly, the card may be used for the Form I-9 process and can also be accepted by employers participating in the E-Verify program.
The passport card is considered a “List A” document that may be presented by newly hired employees during the employment eligibility verification process to show work authorized status. “List A” documents are those used by employees to prove both identity and work authorization when completing the Form I-9.
For more information on the Form I-9 process, call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283 or visit our Website at www.uscis.gov. Information about E-Verify, a free and voluntary program that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees, can be obtained by visiting our Website at www.uscis.gov/e-verify or by calling (888) 464-4218.