Just when you thought you had your cats herded, it appears that a major change in the existing I-9 form will be implemented as soon as 2013. For the (fortunate) uninitiated, the I-9 is an employment eligibility document required for all new hires. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is the driving force behind the changes, after 25 years using the current document.

What would change? According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) said, “If the proposed changes are implemented, the I-9 will expand from one page to two pages. In addition, the employer will be required to provide employees with six pages of instructions (up from three) along with the one-page list of acceptable documents.” (Allen Smith, SHRM)

With an increased emphasis on immigration oversight, it’s not surprising that a new document may be needed. The challenges to the internal HR department is learning the new form on the run, explaining the new form (and possible procedural changes) to candidates for employment, and of course the God-awful storage requirement that will double overnight.

Might be a good year to take that long needed sabbatical?

John “Whit” Whitaker is Founder and OH (Original Hardballer); like this post? Try this one, this one, or even this one….go ahead, don’t be a weenie.