Page 56 - Handbook for Employers - Guidance for Completing Form I-9

Part Eight

Acceptable Documents for Verifying

Employment Authorization and Identity

The following documents are acceptable for Form I-9 Receipts showing that a person has applied for an initial
to establish an employee’s employment authorization grant of employment authorization, or for renewal of
and identity. The comprehensive Lists of Acceptable employment authorization, are not acceptable. Receipts
Documents can be found on the next pages of this are also not acceptable if employment is for fewer than
handbook and on the last page of Form I-9. Samples three business days. For a list of acceptable receipts for
of many of the acceptable documents appear on the Form I-9, see Table 1 in Part Two. For more examples
following pages. of acceptable documents, including List C #8, please
visit uscis.gov/i-9-central. Note that a Form I-797C
To establish both identity and employment authorization, acknowledging receipt of an EAD renewal application
a person must present to their employer a document or presented with an expired EAD is considered an
combination of documents from List A, which shows unexpired EAD in certain circumstances. Please refer to
both identity and employment authorization; or one Part Two for further information.
document from List B, which shows identity and one
document from List C, which shows employment The following pages show the most recent versions and
authorization. representative images of some of the various acceptable
documents on the list. These images can assist you in
If a person is unable to present the required your review of the document presented to you. These
document(s) within three business days of the date pages are not, however, comprehensive. In some cases,
work for pay begins, they must present an acceptable many variations of a particular document exist and new
receipt within that time. If they present a receipt, the versions may be published subsequent to the publication
person must present the actual document when the date of this handbook. Keep in mind that USCIS does not
receipt validity period ends. They must have indicated expect you to be a document expert. You are expected to
on or before the time employment began, by having accept documents that reasonably appear to be genuine
checked an appropriate box in Section 1, that they are and to relate to the person presenting them.
already authorized to be employed in the United States.

LIST A: Documents That Establish Both Identity and Employment Authorization
All documents must be unexpired.

1. U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card I-94A bearing the same name as the passport
and an endorsement of the
2. Permanent Resident Card or Alien alien’s nonimmigrant status, as long as the
Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
period of endorsement has
3. Foreign passport that contains a temporary I-551 not yet expired and the proposed
stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a employment is not in conflict with any
machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV) restrictions or limitations identified on the form
4. Employment Authorization Document (Card) that 6. Passport from the Federated States of
contains a photograph (Form I-766) (including expired Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the
EADs in conjunction with Forms I-797 based on an Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or Form
EAD automatic extension in certain circumstances; I-94A indicating nonimmigrant admission
see page 13) under the Compact of Free Association
Between the United States and the FSM or
5. For a nonimmigrant alien authorized to work RMI
for a specific employer incident to status,
a foreign passport with Form I-94 or Form

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