What is the primary purpose of the federal Form I-9 that every U.S. employer must complete for each new hire?
Explanation
Form I-9 exists to document that the employer examined acceptable documents and verified the new employee's identity and authorization to work in the United States, as 8 U.S.C. §1324a(b) requires of every U.S. employer. (a) is the job of the DE 34 new-hire report, which does feed child-support enforcement - a genuinely adjacent form completed at the same moment in onboarding. (b) is the federal W-4 and California DE 4. (d) happens through the employer's EDD payroll tax registration, not through any form the employee signs. All four documents cross the new hire's desk in the same week, which is why they are easy to confuse.
Law Reference: 8 U.S.C. §1324a(b); Immigration Reform and Control Act; Form I-9This topic, taught in full in the CSLB Law & Business guide. CSLB Law & Business — Complete Study Guide (2026) — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 · 14-day refund →
Practice all 1632 questions free — no signup required.
Own the complete CSLB Law & Business guide — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 →
Related questions on this topic
- For a child-support wage assignment (income withholding order), the maximum percentage of disposable earnings that may be withheld is generally higher than for ordinary debts. What is the typical maximum for an employee supporting no other family and who is not in arrears beyond 12 weeks?
- Within how many days of hiring a new employee must a California employer report the hire to the New Employee Registry (EDD)?
- Which California form is used by an employer to report a newly hired employee to the Employment Development Department?
- By what deadline must an employer complete Section 2 of Form I-9 (examining the employee's documents) for a new hire?
- What is E-Verify, and what is California's general stance on employers using it?
- In California, which payroll tax that funds unemployment benefits is paid entirely by the employer, not deducted from the employee's wages?
Last reviewed: · editorial process