Resource Center

Question: Is it permissible for an employer to pre-populate Section 1 of an electronic Form I-9 using information collected from the employee through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) during the new hire onboarding process?

Response & Analysis:

No. In the November 2016 issue of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) E-Verify Connection newsletter, it stated that “Form I-9, Section 1, cannot be auto-populated by an electronic system that collects information during the on-boarding process for a new hire.” Employers are, however, permitted to auto-populate the following fields in Section 2: Employer’s Business or Organization Name, Employer’s Business or Organization Address (Street Number and Name), City or Town, State, and Zip Code.

OSC believes that this practice increases the likelihood of including inaccurate or outdated information in Section 1. Moreover, OSC states that employers relying on previously gathered employee information may be more likely to overlook that a particular employee has limited English proficiency (“LEP”) because Section 1 has been pre-populated by the employer. As a result, the employer may fail to provide that employee with translation or interpretation assistance in order to ensure the accuracy of Section 1 and/or in order to assist the employee in understanding the request for documents relating to Section 2.

All Rights Reserved © 2017 Truescreen, Inc.
This document and/or presentation is provided as a service to our customers. Its contents are designed solely for informational purposes, and should not be inferred or understood as legal advice or binding case law, nor shared with any third parties. Persons in need of legal assistance should seek the advice of competent legal counsel. Although care has been taken in preparation of these materials, we cannot guarantee the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information contained within it. Anyone using this information does so at his or her own risk.