New Form I-9 to Be Released Nov. 22, 2016  

USCIS has announced that the new Form I-9 Employment Authorization Verification form will be made available via the USCIS website on Nov. 22, 2016. There will be a two-month grace period for employers to integrate the new Form into their processes. This means that while employers may use the new form I-9 as soon as it is released, it must be used for all new hires and reverifications beginning on Jan. 22, 2017.

The new Form I-9 will include some new features, such as a separate third page for reverifications and updates. The new Form I-9 is also designed to offer greater functionality when completed online (such as drop-down boxes). Additionally, the Form I-9 includes detailed instructions specifying the appropriate abbreviations to use when listing the "issuing authority" and "document title" for documents submitted by an employee to demonstrate identity and work authorization. 

We strongly advise you to take this opportunity to review your current I-9 compliance and completion procedures in order to ensure you are ready to implement any changes required by the new Form I-9. Please contact us if you would like us to review your current Form I-9 practices in order to identify any steps you may be able to take to improve your I-9 compliance.

USCIS Announces Fee Increases

Effective Dec. 23, 2016, the filing fees for many USCIS petitions and applications will increase. Fees for employment-based petitions and applications will rise by an average of 21 percent, though increases for some filings will be significantly higher. Below is a chart of fees for some of the more frequently used forms:

Immigration Benefit Request New Fee Old Fee
I–129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker $460 $325
I-130 Petition for Alien Relative $535 $420
I-131 Application for Travel Document $575 $360
I–140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker $700 $580
I–485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (including biometrics fee) $1,225 $1,070
I–526 Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur $3,675 $1,500
I–539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status $370 $290
I–765 Application for Employment Authorization $410 $380
N–400 Application for Naturalization $640 $595

There will be no increase in the Premium Processing fee.

USCIS has indicated that the fee increase is necessary to reflect their increased processing costs.

Employers should plan accordingly and, where possible, submit applications prior to the
effective date of the fee increase.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.