Refugees and Asylees: What You Need to Know about the Form I-9
Information on this page is copied from the website of the United States Department of Justice.
To work in the United States, you must complete the “Form I-9,” a government form that is used to verify you are authorized to work. Employers that do not follow the rules may be discriminating against you.
For Section 1 of the I-9, you must provide information about yourself.
Refugee and asylees are considered “aliens authorized to work.” Because you have a permanent right to work, you should write “N/A” (“Not Applicable”) in the space for the expiration date of your work authorization.
If you choose to provide your I-94 Admission Number instead of an Alien Registration Number, provide your passport information if you have a passport. If you do not have a passport, you should write “N/A” in the space for your passport information.
If your I-94 card contains a handwritten number with the pre-printed number crossed out, the handwritten number is your I-94 number.
For Section 2 of the I-9, you must present documentation to your employer that proves identity and employment authorization.
The I-9 has three Lists of Acceptable Documents – List A (documents combining identity and employment authorization), B (identity documents) and C (employment authorization documents). You need to show your choice of EITHER one document from List A OR a combination of one List B and one List C document.
Your employer cannot require you to show an Employment Authorization Document if you have a state identification and an unrestricted Social Security card.
If you are a refugee, your I-94 is a List A document that is valid for 90 days from the date you are hired. After 90 days, you must show another List A document or a combination of one List B and one List C document.
If you are an asylee, you can use your I-94 as a List C document.
An employer is only allowed to ask for documents again in limited circumstances.
If you showed your Employment Authorization Document for Section 2, your employer will ask to see another document when your Employment Authorization Document expires. At this time, you may show EITHER an unexpired List A OR List C document of your choice, such as an unrestricted Social Security card. You don’t have to show an Employment Authorization Document again.
If you showed documents from List B and List C for Section 2, such as a state identification card and unrestricted Social Security card, your employer should not ask to see your documents again, even if your Employment Authorization Document has expired.
You do not need your Social Security number to start working.
An employer must allow you to work and pay you even if you do not have your Social Security number yet.
If you don’t have your number by the time you start your job, leave the Social Security number box in Section 1 blank. This is true even if your employer uses E-Verify.
If you have further questions about the I-9 and discrimination, call our free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 or visit www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc. Foreign language interpreters are available.