Comments on: Massive I-9 audits on the way: How to prepare

By: Camille

Camille — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:19:06 +0000

Pam, congratulations on passing the audit with flying colors! You are smart to stay organized and vigilant. I agree that everyone should perform an audit, sooner than later, and should be sure that they either educate themselves on what full compliance means or hire an expert to help.

The I-9 process can be a do-it-yourself project if you have the time and the inclination. I always tell people if you wouldn’t do your own taxes you probably shouldn’t do your own I-9 audit! But, for people who are knowlegable and have the time and resources it is certainly an option.

The website http://www.I-9Okay.com has a great FAQ page and Fact Sheets to help people decide if they can do it themselves or if they need help.

Again, Pam you should be really proud of yourself. Surviving an ICE inspection is no small task.

By: Pam

Pam — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:57:17 +0000

We were audited for our I9 forms about a month ago and we passed with flying colors.

I personally audited our files a few years ago, after I moved into this position, to make sure we were in compliance with everything, including I9′s. I keep my I9 forms and copies of ID in a separate file which makes it easy to pull the necessary forms for the audit quickly.

I highly recommend everyone do an audit on their employee files “sooner rather than later” to ensure compliance. I also recommend having a separate file for I9 information so that you do not have to go through each individual personnel file if you are audited. It makes the whole process go a lot faster and you do not have a lot of time to respond. It will save you a lot of headaches and fines in the future.

By: Camille

Camille — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:27:00 +0000

I am an I-9 consultant that offers the very important service of I-9 reviews and compliance plans. Most businesses that I visit believe that they are in full compliance of the law relating to the I-9 however over 80% of them don’t begin to meet the standard of good faith compliance. Too many businesses are counting on CPAs or HR generalists who are not fully aware of the complexity of this law. Please visit http://www.I-9okay.com for more information.

By: YMontoya

YMontoya — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:37:35 +0000

I keep the I-9s with the employee file. Is there a special way that ICE wants them filed?

By: JTeller

JTeller — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:49:47 +0000

I think that I-9 compliance is ever so important today. The ICE is doing the right thing by auditing businesses to ensure that the employemnt eligibility documents are correctly filled out. Most companies do not specialize in I-9 forms, they focus on their core business be it selling food, cars, or professional services. We all need a professional audit company to help us confirm the accuracy of the I-9’s kept for all employees both present and for three years past an employment termination date. I am a small business owner and found a company called I-9 Help Center (www.I9HelpCenter.com) that helped me audit my records. I do not want to caught with inaccuracies when the ICE comes knocking on my door!

By: Steven Ricci

Steven Ricci — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:35:38 +0000

I speak from experience – I own 2 businesses. One of them was audited by the government earlier this month. I am now facing $17,000 in fines and all of my employees are legal! I had some missing and wrong information on my I-9 forms. For my second business I brought in some help – an I-9 expert. I happened to use a company called LegalEmployer.com. They “audited” my I-9s and pointed out errors and ways to fix them – legally. If this second business is audited by the government I feel confident that I am prepared. Working with an expert has given me peace of mind and has saved me thousands in potential fines – not to mention the bad press associated with government fines. Be prepared!