Small business owners should take a look at which version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, they are using.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a new version of Form I-9, dated Nov. 14, 2016. Employers should be prepared to use the revised form by Jan. 22, 2017.

Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of all new hires in the U.S.

The new form includes changes designed to reduce errors and to make it easier to complete the form on a computer. More prompts have been included to ensure that information is in entered property. There is also a dedicated area for including additional information, and multiple preparers and translators may be included.

Enhancements for completing the form on a computer include drop-down lists and calendars for filling in dates, on-screen instructions for each field, access to full instructions, and an option to clear the form and start over. When  the completed form is printed, a quick response (QR) code that most QR readers can read is automatically generated.

The USCIS is offering a stakeholder teleconference to discuss the revised form on Jan. 31. You can register to learn about the enhancements included in the revised form, employment eligibility verification best practices and how to complete each section of the form.