I-9 Verification in NYC: Authorized Representative Inspection of Original Documents

No. An employer can name an authorized representative to complete Section 2 of Form I-9 by inspecting the employee’s original documents in person. No notary seal goes on the form, and the representative acts as the employer’s agent. Responsibility for the form stays with the employer.

Federal rules give the employer three business days from the employee’s first day of work to complete Section 2. The employee brings original documents from the I-9 Lists of Acceptable Documents, and the representative inspects them in person and completes Section 2 per the employer’s directions.

Please do. HR teams often have platform links or specific completion steps; send them with the booking and we follow your process. Tell us who receives the confirmation, in what form and by when, and send the employee’s start date so the three-business-day deadline is clear.

Original, unexpired documents from the I-9 Lists of Acceptable Documents: either one document from List A, or one from List B and one from List C. Photocopies are not accepted. The employer or the form lists the options, so check them before the visit.

Only if the employer is approved for the alternative procedure that allows live video inspection of documents. Otherwise the inspection is in person. Ask the employer which applies before you book, and send its written instructions with the booking so the representative follows them exactly.

There is no state notary fee because this is not a notarial act. The travel fee and any service fee are quoted before the visit, so you approve the total first. Ask what the total includes, and whether the employer or the employee pays, before you confirm.