If you are completing I-9s for contractors, you should continue to use the current form despite the August 31, 2012, expiration date listed in the upper right corner of the form, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

The Form I-9,  Employment Eligibilty Verification, is used to verify that new employees are authorized to work in the United States. Employers are required to have new employees complete Section 1 of the form on their first day of work. After viewing the employee's "Acceptable Documents" showing they are authorized to work, the employer then must complete Section 2 within three business days of the employee's start date. If you are a recruiter who places contractors and runs your own back-office, you are responsible for I-9 compliance.

The USCIS is working to finalize a new version of the form. The new form is expected to include:

• Expanded instructions
• A revised layout
• New optional fields to collect employees' email addresses and phone numbers
• New fields to collect foreign passport numbers and country of issuance

The agency has released two drafts of the new version and is currently seeking comments on the newest draft. Comments will be accepted until September 21.

Debbie Fledderjohann is the President of Top Echelon Contracting, Inc.