How long do we wait until an employee brings us a work author­ization document?

Assuming that the employee is a new hire, there is no grace period to produce an original document. Within three business days of starting work for pay, the new hire must present documentation establishing identity and employment authorization.

If the employee was originally hired with a work authorization document and that document has expired, there is usually no grace period either. The employee is required to produce a work document prior to the original expiration date in order to remain authorized to work.

Some workers in certain categories may be eligible for a 180-day automatic extension of their expired Employment Authorization Document. For more information, refer to the Handbook for Employers, Instructions for Completing the Form I-9 (M-274).​​​

You can find more information in the I-9 Form: Verifying Eligibility section of the HR Library.​

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