An employee must show documentation to his/her employer to show their identity and authorization to work. Please see the info below for accepted forms of documentation. Please visit http://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central for additional details.
Documents that Establish Both Identity and Employment Authorization
The documents on List A show both identity and employment authorization. Employees presenting a List A document should not be asked to present any other document. Some List A documents are in fact a combination of two or more documents. In these cases, the documents presented together count as one List A document.
U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card
Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
These cards may or may not contain a signature. A signature is not required for the card to be valid for Form I-9 purposes.
Permanent Resident Card with signature:
Permanent Resident Card with notation, “Signature Waived”:
Foreign passport that contains a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV)
Note that this document is subject to reverification
Employment Authorization Document (Card) that contains a photograph (Form I-766)
Foreign passport with Form I-94 or Form I-94A with Arrival/Departure Report, and containing an endorsement to work
Foreign passport must have a Arrival/Departure Report bearing the same name as the passport and contain an endorsement of the alien’s nonimmigrant status that authorizes such alien to work for a specific employer incident to this status.
This document may only be used if the period of endorsement has not yet expired and the proposed employment does not conflict with any restrictions or limitations listed on Form I-94 or I-94A, Arrival/Departure Report . Note: Some individuals who present this List A document, such as certain nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors, must also present additional documentation in order to prove their work authorization in the United States.
In April 2013, Form I-94 was automated at airports and seaports. CBP no longer automatically provides travelers with a paper copy of Form I-94. Travelers may access Form I-94 information through the CBP website or may request a paper Form I-94 during the inspection process
Passport from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) or the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) with Form I-94 or Form I-94A
Passport must come with Form I-94 or Form I-94A showing nonimmigrant admission under the Compact of Free Association Between the United States and the FSM or RMI.
Foreign passport containing a I-551 stamp or I-551 printed notation
Passport must contain a temporary I-551 stamp or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV).
Documents that Establish Identity
The documents on List B show identity only. Employees who choose to present a List B document must also present a document from List C for Section 2. Employees may present one of the following unexpired List B documents:
Driver’s License
Driver’s license or identification (ID) card issued by a state or outlying possession of the United States, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color and address
ID Card
ID card issued by federal, state or local government agencies or entities, provided it contains a photograph or information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color and address
- School ID card with a photograph
- Voter’s registration card
- U.S.military card or draft record
- Military dependent’s ID card
- U.S.Coast Guard Merchant Mariners Document (MMD) Card
- Native American tribal document
- Driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority
Acceptable List B Documents for persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:
- School record or report card
- Clinic, doctor or hospital record
- Day-care or nursery school record
For minors under the age of 18 and certain individuals with disabilities who are unable to produce any of the listed identity documents, special notations may be used in place of a List B document.
The documents in List C show employment authorization only.
Employees who choose to present a List C document must also provide a document from List B for Section 2.
Employees may present one of the following unexpired List C documents:
U.S. Social Security account number card that is unrestricted
U.S. Social Security account number card that is unrestricted. A card that includes any of the following restrictive wording is not an acceptable List C document:
- NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT
- VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH INS AUTHORIZATION
- VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION
Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the U.S. Department of State (Form FS-545)
Certification of Report of Birth issued by the U.S. Department of State (Form DS-1350)
Original or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority or outlying possession of the United States bearing an official seal
Native American tribal document
U.S. Citizen ID Card (Form I-197)
Identification Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the United States (Form I-179)
Employment authorization document issued by DHS
Some employment authorization documents issued by DHS include but are not limited to the Form I-94 issued to an asylee or work-authorized nonimmigrant (e.g., H-1B nonimmigrants) because of their immigration status, the unexpired Reentry Permit (Form I-327), the Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561), or the Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570). A form I-797 issued to a conditional resident may be an acceptable List C(8) document in combination with his or her expired Form I-551 (“green card”). For more information about DHS-issued documents please contact customer support.