This article explains how employees in the United States can complete the employment eligibility verification Form I-9 on Deel.
In this article:
Representatives Completing Section 2
What is Form I-9?
Form I-9 is used by the U.S. government to verify the identity and eligibility of individuals to work in the United States.
The USCIS Form I-9 can be reviewed here
Employers are legally required to keep a copy of the completed form for every employee they hire, regardless of citizenship.
The USCIS requires employers to obtain an updated version of the I-9. Both Section 1 and Section 2 of the form are consolidated onto a single page.
Fortunately, this updated form can be completed on the Deel platform in two steps: fill out the form and assign a representative to review and submit the documents.
More details and instructions are available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
Submitting the Form I-9
✅ Step 1 – Open Form I-9
Select the Workspace icon, click the Documents tab, and then click Submit on the I-9 section 1.
This is a requirement for EOR employees, Global Payroll direct employees, and PEO employees in the United States.
✅ Step 2 - Review the consent form and submit
Employees are required to review and submit a consent form, authorizing the electronic completion and storage of Form I-9 through Deel.
✅ Step 3 - Confirm personal details
Employees will be asked to confirm their personal information, which will be pre-filled based on the details provided during their onboarding. Some of this information will be editable in this section or via the Profile Settings.
✅ Step 4 - Provide legal status
Employees will have the option to choose from the following categories:
- A citizen of the United States: An individual born or naturalized in the U.S., automatically authorized to work.
- A noncitizen national of the United States: A person born in American Samoa or certain U.S. territories, who is not a U.S. citizen but is authorized to work.
- A lawful permanent resident (green card holder): A noncitizen authorized to live and work in the U.S. permanently.
- A noncitizen authorized to work until a certain date: An individual granted temporary work authorization in the U.S. based on their legal status or visa.
✅ Step 5 - Add preparer or translator details
A preparer or translator assists employees in completing Section 1 of Form I-9 by translating the form and certifying their assistance with their name, address, and signature.
If an employee uses a preparer or translator to assist with completing Form I-9, the preparer or translator must complete, sign, and date the Preparer and/or Translator section, providing their details and attesting to their assistance.
If not using one, simply select the option I did not use a preparer or translator.
✅ Step 6 - Review the form and submit it
Assigning a Representative
After completing Section 1, employees must nominate an individual to review their submission as part of Section 2. This can be done by clicking on Next Step after submitting Section 1 or by returning to the Documents tab and clicking Invite to assign a representative in Section 2.
Under penalty of perjury, individuals cannot sign their own Form I-9 Section 2.
Section 2 of Form I-9 must be completed by a representative designated to inspect the employee's documents.
The representative must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Be physically present to review and sign the documents.
The employee is responsible for appointing this representative, who must provide their name, job title, business or organization name, and address (note: P.O. box addresses are not acceptable). The employer cannot serve as the representative.
Once the employee provides the representative’s name and email address, the representative will receive an email to complete Section 2 within three days of the employment start date.
If the form is not submitted on time, the employee may be placed on unpaid leave until the form is completed and submitted.
The employee must be physically present with the representative when they complete this section and must provide them with the six-digit access code.
Where to find the authentication code
Employees can go to the Documents tab and click on View Code in the I-9 Section 2.
They can review the six-digit code and the representative's email address.
From this section, it is also possible to change the representative information and resend an invite.
Representatives Completing Section 2
✅ Step 1 - Initiate the review
Representatives can initiate the completion of Section 2 via the received email by clicking Get Started and entering the six-digit code provided by the employee.
✅ Step 2 - Provide consent and details
The representative will be asked to consent to electronically complete Form I-9 and provide their name.
✅ Step 3 - Supporting employee documents
Representatives will have to select the available document(s) from the list provided, enter the document information, and upload a picture or digital version of it.
Once all is complete, they can review and submit the form.
Approval
For EOR employees: Deel will review and approve both sections of the I-9. The status of both sections can be viewed from the Compliance & Documents page.
For PEO employees: PEO clients can review the submission and reject Form I-9 (Section 2) if it is inaccurate. If the submission is rejected, an email notification will be sent, and the employee must resubmit the form.
If the submission is accepted, there will not be an approval email. However, if either of the two Form I-9 sections is rejected, an email will be sent, and the employee will be asked to complete it again.
FAQs
[ACCORDION] Why is the Form I-9 required?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) no longer allows employers to complete a virtual-only inspection of documents.
To validate the documents, the authorized representative must physically inspect them.
This is why it is required to identify a representative whom Deel will designate as its representative. This person must be physically present with the employee and must access the form via a smartphone device.
The USCIS Form I-9 can be reviewed here
[ACCORDION] When can the representative complete Section 2?
The representative can complete Section 2 of Form I-9 as soon as they are elected, even if it is before the employee's start date.
The authorized representative will have only seven days to inspect and submit the Form once it is assigned to them, or the link will expire.
If the form is not submitted in time, employees may be placed on unpaid leave until the form is completed and sent.
[ACCORDION] What is the legal responsibility of the assigned representative?
The assigned representative must attest under penalty of perjury that:
- They have examined the documents provided by the employee
- They confirm that the documents appear to be genuine and related to the employee
- They attest that, to the best of their knowledge, the employee is authorized to work in the US
Please note that the employee is ultimately only nominating the person that Deel will officially appoint and designate as the representative.
This will be explained to the authorized representative in their email invitation.
[ACCORDION] What if there is no one available to nominate as an authorized representative?
It is required to identify a representative that Deel can designate as its representative to review and sign Section 2 of Form I-9.
The chosen representative can be a colleague, a neighbor, a friend, or even a direct family member—almost anyone except the employee themselves.
[ACCORDION] What if the authorized representative doesn’t submit the form in time?
The link will expire in seven days. If the link has expired, employees are able to again nominate a representative and resend the invitation.
If the form is not submitted in time, employees may be placed on unpaid leave until the form is completed and sent.
[ACCORDION] What types of documents are accepted during the Form I-9 submission?
The accepted documents fall into three categories:
- List A: Documents that establish both identity and employment authorization.
- List B: Documents that establish identity only.
- List C: Documents that establish employment authorization only.
For a detailed view of all accepted documents, please refer to the official USCIS guide here.