# How to fill out Form I-9

Checked against the USCIS Form I-9 page and the edition 01/20/25 form on November 12, 2026. Updated 2026-11-12. Source page: https://fairfillpdf.com/guides/how-to-fill-out-form-i-9/

To fill out Form I-9, the new employee completes Section 1 with their name, address, date of birth and citizenship or immigration status by the first day of work. The USCIS fillable PDF must be printed and signed by hand, unless your employer uses an electronic I-9 system that meets DHS standards. The employer completes Section 2 within three business days and keeps the form.

## The I-9 at a glance

| Form | Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, edition 01/20/25, expires 05/31/2027 |
| --- | --- |
| Section 1 | The employee, no later than the first day of work, and not before accepting the job offer |
| Section 2 | The employer, within three business days after the first day of work |
| Documents | Your choice from the lists on page 2 of the form |
| Signature | By hand on the printed USCIS form, or electronically in an employer’s I-9 system that meets DHS standards |
| Who keeps it | The employer |
| Cost | Cost here: $1.99, charged only when you download. |
| Official form | uscis.gov/i-9 |

## Which I-9 should you use?

Use the Form I-9 your employer gives you, or the current one from the USCIS website. On the copy at uscis.gov in November 2026, USCIS prints “Edition 01/20/25” at the bottom of each page and “Expires 05/31/2027” at the top. USCIS also lets employers use the 08/01/23 edition that expires 05/31/2027.

The USCIS I-9 is a fillable PDF. When you open it here, you’ll see its fillable boxes in pale blue, including the signature boxes. The steps are the same as when you [fill out any PDF form](https://fairfillpdf.com/fill-pdf/).

## How to fill out Section 1 here

1. Open the I-9 with the button above. The PDF is never uploaded.
2. Place the $1.99 hold. Nothing is charged until you download, and the hold is released if you don’t download within 24 hours.
3. Type your last name, first name, middle initial and any other last names you have used.
4. Type your address and date of birth. Your Social Security number, email address and telephone number are optional, unless your employer uses E-Verify, which requires your Social Security number.
5. Tick one box for your status: U.S. citizen, noncitizen national, lawful permanent resident, or an alien authorized to work.
6. If you ticked box 3, enter your USCIS or A-Number. If you ticked box 4, enter the expiration date, if any, and one of an A-Number, a Form I-94 number, or a foreign passport number and country. Refugees, asylees and others whose permission to work has no expiration date should enter N/A as the expiration date.
7. Leave the “Signature of Employee” line empty.
8. Press Download. We charge the $1.99, and your browser saves the filled I-9.
9. Print the I-9, sign Section 1 by hand in ink, and write the date you sign it. USCIS says not to back-date it.
10. Give the signed I-9 to your employer, and bring your documents for Section 2.

## Can you sign Form I-9 electronically?

You can sign Form I-9 electronically only in an employer’s electronic I-9 system that meets DHS standards. Under DHS regulations, employers may complete, sign, scan and store Form I-9 electronically when the system meets the standards in 8 CFR 274a.2. Ask your employer whether it uses one.

The fillable USCIS PDF is not such a system. USCIS says employers and employees using that form must print it and sign it by hand, because it does not meet DHS standards for electronic I-9s.

If your employer gives you the USCIS PDF, fill in the boxes here, then print it and sign Section 1; see [what a wet signature is](https://fairfillpdf.com/guides/what-is-a-wet-signature/). Employers that keep paper I-9s only must keep the form with the original handwritten signatures. USCIS lets employers scan and upload the original signed form to keep it electronically.

## Which documents can you show?

Bring one document from List A, or one from List B and one from List C. Documents with an expiration date must be unexpired; a document the issuing authority has extended counts as unexpired. Some examples from the lists printed on page 2 of the form:

| List | Proves | Examples |
| --- | --- | --- |
| List A | Identity and permission to work | U.S. passport or passport card, Permanent Resident Card, Employment Authorization Document with a photo |
| List B | Identity | State driver’s license or ID card with a photo or identifying details, school ID with a photo, voter’s registration card, U.S. military card |
| List C | Permission to work | Social Security card without a work restriction, an original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a U.S. state, county, municipal authority or territory, with an official seal |

Check page 2 of your I-9 for the full lists and their conditions. For a short time, you can present some receipts in place of a listed document.

## What does the employer do next?

Your employer completes Section 2 of Form I-9 and examines your documents in person, or by an alternative procedure that DHS has authorized. For a job of less than three business days, Section 2 is due by the first day.

For your tax forms at a new job, see [how to fill out a W-4](https://fairfillpdf.com/guides/how-to-fill-out-a-w-4/).

## Questions about Form I-9

### Do I send my I-9 to USCIS?

No. USCIS says not to file Form I-9 with USCIS or ICE. Your employer keeps it on file.

### Can my employer tell me which documents to bring?

No. All employees can choose which acceptable documents to present, and employers can’t specify which ones.

### Can I fill out the I-9 before my first day?

Yes, once you have accepted the job offer. Section 1 is due no later than your first day of work, but not before you accept the offer.

### Who fills out Supplement A?

A preparer or translator who helped you complete Section 1 fills out and signs Supplement A. Without a preparer or translator, your employer doesn’t need that page.

### How long does my employer keep my I-9?

Three years after your date of hire, or one year after your employment ends, whichever is later.

### What can someone under 18 use for identity?

If they can’t present another List B document, a person under 18 can use a school record or report card.

We write general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask the agency or a lawyer.

## Sources

1. [I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, form page and Form I-9 (edition 01/20/25), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9), read November 12, 2026
2. [Instructions for Form I-9 (01/20/25), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services](https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-9instr.pdf), read November 12, 2026
3. [Retention and Storage, I-9 Central, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/completing-form-i-9/retention-and-storage), read November 12, 2026
4. [Questions and Answers, I-9 Central, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/questions-and-answers), read November 12, 2026
5. [Handbook for Employers M-274, 10.0 Retaining Form I-9, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/100-retaining-form-i-9), read November 12, 2026
6. [Electronic Signature and Storage of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, final rule, 75 FR 42575 (July 22, 2010), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2010-07-22/html/2010-17806.htm), read November 12, 2026