ALERT: In 2011, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents issued 2,393 form I-9 audit notices, and during these audits and other visits arrested and prosecuted 196 business owners, executives and human resource managers for workforce immigration violations. Both were records, and audits themselves are up more than 375 percent since the Obama administration took over.

The office of Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a newly revised I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form with mandatory changes. Revisions include changes to the list of acceptable documents used to verify work eligibility. All employers must use the new form for all new hires (beginning 4/3/09) or face penalties for non-compliance during an audit or inspection. Penalties range up to $1,100 per violation.

In addition to the revisions to the form, the USCIS also revised its Employer Handbook to include revised enforcement information, updated reference materials, E-Verify information, and other legal updates.

To help employers comply with mandatory revisions to the Form I-9 and the official USCIS employer handbook, Personnel Concepts has developed a comprehensive 2009 I-9 Compliance Kit. This exclusive kit includes the following vital elements:

• A pack of 25 I-9 forms to meet mandatory documentation and verification requirements.
• A 100+ page guidebook that features the revised employer handbook, an explanation of recent revisions, regulatory text, plain language guidance, FAQs, and best practices.
• An alphabetized storage binder to store your I-9 records separately from your other personnel records, as recommended by attorneys and HR experts.
• A 12" x 18" I-9 Compliance Poster that includes a notice to applicants regarding the mandatory I-9 process and a Right-To-Work notice from the Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel (OSC).