Form I-9: Fill Out Online in 2026

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, is a U.S. government form used for new hires. Employers must complete it for each person they hire to work for pay in the United States. The form confirms the employee’s identity and authorization to work in the country.

The employee enters personal details and attests to their employment authorization. They must also present acceptable documents that prove identity and work authorization. The employer examines those documents, records the required details, and certifies that they appear genuine and relate to the employee. Employers keep completed Forms I-9 for the required period and provide them if an authorized government agency asks to inspect them. This process helps prevent unlawful hiring while supporting workers’ rights and lawful employment practices.

Employers use Form I-9 when they hire someone to work in the United States. It records how the employer checked the new employee’s identity and authorization to work. This helps prevent employers from unlawfully hiring, recruiting, or referring for a fee people who are not authorized to work in the country.

The completed Form I-9 also shows the basis for the employer’s decision that the person may work. Employers keep it as a record rather than send it with a routine application. Authorized officials from DHS, the Department of Labor, or the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division may inspect it.

A blank Form I-9 is available from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency that issues the form and is part of the Department of Homeland Security. You can also open a blank version already loaded in PDFLeader, so you do not need to download a template from another source.

PDFLeader lets you fill out the form in your browser and download the completed copy for future use. PDFLeader does not submit or file Form I-9 for you.

Do not mail Form I-9 or upload it to a government portal. Give the completed form to your employer using the method the employer allows, such as in person or through its approved electronic system. The employer must keep it in its records, either on paper or in an authorized electronic system.

Form I-9 stays with the employer unless an authorized official asks to inspect it. This may include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Department of Labor, or the Department of Justice’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section.

Employees and employers share responsibility for completing Form I-9. Each employee completes Section 1, Employee Information and Attestation. The employer or an authorized representative completes Section 2, Employer Review and Verification. Federal law applies to employers that recruit, refer for a fee, or hire people for work in the United States.

Employers keep a completed Form I-9 for each employee. They must retain it for three years after the hire date or one year after employment ends, whichever is later. Authorized officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, or Department of Justice may inspect it. Employers should not mail completed forms to USCIS or ICE.

You can add a simple electronic signature to Form I-9 on PDFLeader and download the completed form. However, USCIS says its fillable PDF must be printed and signed by hand. A typed name or basic electronic signature does not meet the rules for an electronic I-9 system. PDFLeader does not provide digital signatures or submit the form. Check the latest USCIS updates before signing.

For Section 1, have your Last Name (Family Name), First Name (Given Name), Middle Initial, Other Last Names Used, Address, Date of Birth, and U.S. Social Security Number if required. A Social Security number is optional unless your employer uses E-Verify. Select your Citizenship/Immigration Status Attestation Box. If applicable, provide one Alien Registration/USCIS Number, Form I-94 Admission Number, or Foreign Passport Number and Country of Issuance. Sign and enter Today’s Date without backdating.

For Section 2, present original, acceptable, unexpired documents: one List A document, or one List B document and one List C document. Your employer records each Document Title, Issuing Authority, Document Number, and Expiration Date, then provides the representative’s signature, title, name, date, and Employer’s Business Name and Address. Use Supplement A only if a preparer or translator helped with Section 1.

Form I-9 has no fixed calendar due date. The employee must complete and sign Section 1 no later than the first day of employment. They may complete it earlier, but only after accepting the job offer.

The employer must complete Section 2 within three business days after the employee’s first day of employment. If the job will last fewer than three business days, the employer must complete Section 2 by the employee’s first day of employment.

You do not need Form I-9 when an employee was hired on or before November 6, 1986, and has continued working for the same employer. It is also not required when the work takes place outside the United States.

Other exceptions include unpaid volunteers and interns, as well as casual domestic service in a private home when the work is sporadic, irregular, or intermittent. You also do not complete Form I-9 for an independent contractor when you do not control their work hours or provide their tools.