How should we store our I-9s?

Storing Form I-9

Completing Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, requires collecting personal information about employees. Employers should keep this in mind when determining how to retain and store completed Form I-9 and any corresponding documentation so that personal information does not get into the wrong hands. You should store completed Form I-9 and any corresponding documentation such as copies of documents in a manner that fits your business needs and the requirement to make Form I-9 available for inspection. Do not mail Forms I-9 to USCIS or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

How to store Form I-9:

• On-site or at an off-site storage facility
• In a single format or a combination of formats, such as:
  • paper
  • microfilm or microfiche
  • electronic

Officers from the Department of Homeland Security, employees from the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) at the Department of Justice, and employees from the Department of Labor may ask to inspect these forms.

No matter how you choose to store your Form I-9, you must be able to present them to government officials for inspection within 3 business days of the date when the forms were requested.

Form I-9 contains personal information about employees. When storing these forms (regardless of the format you choose), USCIS recommends that employers provide adequate safeguards to protect employee information.

Storing the Original Paper Form I-9

Employers who choose to keep paper copies of the documents their employees present may store them with the employee’s Form I-9 or with the employees’ records. However, USCIS recommends that employers keep Form I-9 separate from personnel records to facilitate an inspection request.

December 2018