Starting on August 1st, 2023, all I-9s must, once again, be completed in person. This comes after The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the end of the temporary flexibility that allowed for Section 2 of Form I-9 to be verified over video conference platforms.
Moreover, all I-9s which were completed virtually during this period, must now be re-done, in person, by August 30, 2023.
TrendSource—a compliance management firm based in San Diego, CA—has offered I-9 Verifications for nearly a decade, helping HR teams onboard employees wherever they reside. Utilizing a proprietary national database of Field Agents, TrendSource pairs New Hires with local Agents, and together they complete Section 2 of Form I-9 in person.
TrendSource I-9 Remote Verifications Fulfill In-Person Requirement
Now, with the recent news coming out of DHS, TrendSource I-9 Verifications are uniquely positioned to help companies rapidly complete in-person I-9s by the August 30 deadline, including helping onboard remote employees while still meeting the in-person requirements.
“We’ve always known this day would come and we’ve been preparing for it,” TrendSource CEO Victoria Hyzer said. “The in-person requirement is a key part of I-9 compliance and was never going to go away, and now companies are going to have to make a quick compliance push.”
While estimates vary, companies across the country have onboarded thousands upon thousands of employees during the flexibility without meeting the in-person requirement. These companies desperately must play catchup to meet the August 30 deadline.
And for companies that embraced the remote work revolution and will continue hiring employees regardless of their proximity to company headquarters, starting August 1, they must ensure remote employees complete Section 2 of Form I-9 in person.
“These changes, they’re a pretty big deal,” TrendSource’s Client Success Manager Veronica Cruz said. “Some companies have hired hundreds of employees without in-person I-9s, and these hires are typically remote employees spread around the country. They are going to be scrambling, they are going to need a compliance partner, and TrendSource absolutely should be that partner.”
While this shift in DHS policy was foreseeable, it is nonetheless a significant shift that companies must quickly address before falling out of compliance.
