Form I-9 Section 1 instructions: what the new hire fills in, when, and where HR stays out
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Section 1 is the new hire's part of Form I-9. They enter their legal name, address and date of birth, attest to one of four citizenship or immigration statuses under penalty of perjury, and sign. They must finish it no later than their first day of work for pay, and they may do it earlier, but only after accepting the job offer. The employer's role is to make the form and its instructions available, make sure Section 1 is complete, and then stay out of the employee's answers. HR may not suggest a status, ask for proof of what was entered, or correct Section 1 itself.
This page walks through Section 1 field by field, including when the Social Security number is required, how preparers and translators work, and the special cases for minors and remote hires.
Not legal advice. Based on the Form I-9 instructions, edition 01/20/25, and Handbook for Employers, Section 3.0, as checked in September 2026.
When Section 1 happens
| Moment | Section 1 |
|---|---|
| Interviews, offer extended but not accepted | Not allowed. The form cannot be completed before acceptance of an offer |
| Offer accepted, before day one | Allowed. Many employers send it with onboarding paperwork |
| First day of employment for pay | The deadline. Section 1 must be complete by the end of this day |
| Days two and three | Too late for Section 1; these are for the employee to present documents and for the employer to complete Section 2 |
For the full offer-to-day-three timeline, including Section 2, see Form I-9 timing in hiring.
Section 1, field by field
| Field | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Last name, first name, middle initial | Name required; middle initial only if they have one | Current legal name with hyphens and punctuation. Someone with a single name enters it as the last name and "Unknown" as the first name |
| Other last names used | If any | For example a maiden name; otherwise leave blank |
| Address, apartment, city, state, ZIP | Address required; apartment if applicable | The employee's current, complete address |
| Date of birth | Required | mm/dd/yyyy |
| U.S. Social Security number | Voluntary, unless the employer uses E-Verify | Never an ITIN |
| Email and telephone | Optional | For E-Verify employers, giving them lets the employee receive E-Verify case notices |
| Citizenship or immigration status | Required, exactly one box | See the next section |
| Signature and date | Required | The instructions say not to backdate. Someone who cannot write their name may make a mark |
The instructions tell employers to leave fields blank when they do not apply and to allow employees to leave optional fields blank. Pre-filling "N/A" everywhere is not required, and filling in an optional field the employee chose to leave empty is not your call.
The four status boxes
- A citizen of the United States. Nothing more to enter.
- A noncitizen national of the United States. Mainly people born in American Samoa, certain former citizens of the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and certain children of noncitizen nationals born abroad. Nothing more to enter.
- A lawful permanent resident. Enter the 7- to 9-digit USCIS Number (A-Number). Conditional residents check this box. The instructions say refugees and asylees should not; they check the next one.
- An alien authorized to work. This is the wording on the 01/20/25 edition. Enter the date employment authorization expires, or "N/A" if it has no expiration date (refugees, asylees and certain citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau, for example), plus one of: USCIS Number/A-Number, Form I-94 admission number, or foreign passport number and country of issuance.
The expiration date in box 4 matters later: reverification is due by the earlier of that date and the expiration of the List A or C document recorded in Section 2. See I-9 reverification.
The Social Security number and E-Verify
For employers that do not use E-Verify, the Social Security number in Section 1 is voluntary and should not be pressed for. For E-Verify employers the instructions say the employee must provide it, because E-Verify cannot run without it. If the employee has applied for a number but has not received it, they leave the field blank, may start working if they can present acceptable Section 2 documents, and add the number when it arrives, initialing and dating the entry. The E-Verify case waits until then.
Preparers and translators: Supplement A
Anyone who helps the employee fill in or understand Section 1 is a preparer or translator. That includes an HR coordinator who types the answers for a new hire, a family member who translates, or a staffing agency recruiter who walks a candidate through the form in another language.
- Each preparer or translator completes and signs a separate certification area on Supplement A, with their name and address, attesting under penalty of perjury that they assisted.
- There is no limit on how many preparers or translators an employee may use.
- The employee still signs Section 1 themselves.
- If nobody helped, you do not need to provide or retain Supplement A.
- If somebody helped, keep Supplement A with the employee's form.
Helping is fine. Choosing answers is not. A preparer records what the employee says; they do not decide which status box applies.
Minors and special placement
When a minor cannot present a List B identity document, a parent or legal guardian may complete Section 1 for them, write "Individual under age 18" in the employee signature field, and complete a Supplement A certification. The employer then writes "Individual under age 18" in the List B column of Section 2, and the minor presents a List C document. A similar procedure, with "Special Placement" in place of the minor notation, applies to some employees with disabilities placed through a nonprofit organization or rehabilitation program. USCIS says E-Verify employers cannot use the parent-or-guardian identity procedure for minors; see Handbook Section 4.2.
What HR may and may not do
| May | May not |
|---|---|
| Provide the form, the instructions and the Lists of Acceptable Documents | Tell the employee which status box to check |
| Review Section 1 for completeness before completing Section 2 | Ask for documents to verify anything in Section 1 |
| Ask the employee to correct an error or fill a gap, and initial and date the fix | Correct Section 1 on the employee's behalf |
| Act as preparer or translator, with Supplement A | Collect Section 1 before the offer is accepted |
| Require the Social Security number, if you use E-Verify | Require it if you do not |
The line between "ask them to fix it" and "fix it for them" is the one most often crossed in practice. See common Form I-9 mistakes for how each Section 1 error should be corrected.
Remote new hires
A new hire who never visits an office can complete Section 1 electronically, as long as the system meets the electronic signature rules in 8 CFR 274a.2(h): the signature is attached at the time of the transaction, the system records who signed, and it provides a printed confirmation to the signer. A PDF emailed back with a typed name and no system behind it does not meet that standard. The document examination for Section 2 is a separate question, answered in I-9 remote verification, and the electronic system rules are covered in electronic I-9 storage requirements.
A Section 1 handoff checklist
- Offer accepted in writing before Section 1 is sent.
- Form edition is current (01/20/25, or the 08/01/23 edition expiring 05/31/2027, as of September 2026).
- Instructions and Lists of Acceptable Documents provided with the form.
- Every required field complete; exactly one status box checked; box 3 and box 4 entries present.
- Social Security number entered if you use E-Verify.
- Signed and dated by the employee, not before the offer acceptance and not backdated.
- Supplement A completed by every person who helped.
- Completed by the end of the first day of employment.
Questions people ask
When does the employee have to complete Section 1?
No later than the first day of employment for pay. The employee may complete it earlier, but not before they have accepted the job offer.
Is the Social Security number required in Section 1?
It is voluntary unless the employer participates in E-Verify. For E-Verify employers the employee must enter it; if they have applied for a number and not yet received it, they leave the field blank, may start work if they can present acceptable documents, and add the number later with their initials and the date.
Can HR fill in Section 1 for a new hire who asks for help?
Yes, but only as a preparer or translator. Anyone who helps the employee complete Section 1 must complete and sign a certification on Supplement A, and the employee still signs Section 1 themselves.
Can we ask the employee to prove the citizenship status they selected?
No. The Form I-9 instructions say the employer may not ask for documentation to verify the information the employee entered in Section 1. The documents come in Section 2, and the employee chooses them from the lists.