What Forms Do I Need For I9?

To complete the I-9 form, which is required for verifying an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States, you need to provide specific documents. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) organizes these documents into three lists: List A, List B, and List C. You have the option to present one document from List A, or one document from each of List B and List C.

Table of Contents

List A: Documents that Establish Both Identity and Employment Authorization

Providing one document from List A is enough because it verifies both your identity and your authorization to work in the U.S. Examples of List A documents include:

U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card
Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
Employment Authorization Document (EAD) that contains a photograph (Form I-766)
Foreign passport that contains a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa
Passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or Form I-94A indicating nonimmigrant admission under the Compact of Free Association Between the United States and the FSM or RMI

List B: Documents that Establish Identity Only

If you do not have a List A document, you must provide one document from List B for identity and one from List C for employment authorization. List B documents include:

Driver’s license or ID card issued by any U.S. state or outlying possession
ID card issued by federal, state, or local government agencies, provided it includes a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address
School ID card with a photograph
Voter’s registration card
U.S. Military card or draft record
Military dependent’s ID card

List C: Documents that Establish Employment Authorization Only

If you use a List B document for identity, you also need to provide a document from List C that verifies your authorization to work in the U.S. Examples of List C documents include:

Social Security card issued by the Social Security Administration (other than a card stating it is not valid for employment)
Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545)
Certification of Report of Birth issued by the Department of State (Form DS-1350)
Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority, or territory of the U.S. bearing an official seal
Native American tribal document

Important Points to Remember

Originals Required: Employees must present original documents; photocopies or expired documents are not accepted (with some exceptions for certain expired documents as specified by USCIS).
Employee Choice: Employees have the right to choose which documents to present from the lists provided. Employers cannot specify or demand specific documents as long as the documents meet the legal requirements and appear to be genuine.
Employer Verification: Employers are required to physically examine each document to ensure that they are genuine and relate to the person presenting them.

By providing the appropriate documents from these lists, you ensure that you meet the federal requirements for employment verification, confirming both your identity and your legal authorization to work in the United States.