Author: Melanie J. Perez-Vellios, VP Group, LLC

Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 (Form I-9) is used to verify that a newly hired employee is legally authorized and eligible to work in the United States. All employers are required by federal law to verify the identity of their employees and their eligibility to work in the United States. Employers are not required to file the Form I-9, but the Form I-9 should be kept by the employer in a separate location from the employee's personnel file and it must be held for a minimum of three years or for one year after employment ends, whichever is longer.