It was great while it lasted! The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced the end to the remote identification verification flexibilities offered during the COVID-19 pandemic. These temporary regulations allowed employers to verify forms of identification virtually in order to complete the Form I-9.
These temporary regulations will come to an end on July 31, 2023. There is a grace period of 30 days after the end date for employers to comply.
The end of this remote flexibility also means employers have until August 30, 2023 to physically inspect identification that has only been virtually inspected. For example, if you hired an employee in another state and virtually inspected their forms of identification since March 20, 2020, you now have until August 30, 2023 to physically inspect their forms of identification.
Our consulting team is available to assist you with questions.