While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has always given priority to I-9 compliance, inspections are on the rise, and the fines associated with failing to observe these rules have increased recently. Violations discovered on or after June 28, 2024 will be subject to these newly indexed penalty amounts:

• 1st offense: Employing unauthorized employees increase from $698 to $5,579

• 2nd offense: Employing unauthorized employees increase from $5,579 to $13,946 

• 3rd or more offense: Employing unauthorized employees increase from $8,369 to $27,894

• General I-9 paperwork violations increase from $281 to $2,789 per instance

Employers should ensure their processes regarding I-9 documentation, verification, and updates are well established, and that all human resource employees are trained in this process. For new hires, this should include:

• Enrollment with government  e-verify service (located here)

• Use of the most up to date I-9 forms (instructions and downloadable forms available here)

• Internal audit of all new hire materials to ensure I-9 completion

A written process, communicated to all employees is a first step to ensuring a compliant I-9 program to avoid these increasing steep fines.