Form I-9 Penalties for Companies

Form I-9 serves as a tool for employers to confirm that they are employing individuals who have the legal authorization to work in the United States. 

• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can impose penalties for errors or omissions on Form I-9. 
• The penalty amounts have seen a recent increase and vary based on factors such as the size of the company and the number of violations. 
• As of 2022, for first-time paperwork violations relating to I-9, fines range between $252 and $2,507 per each substantive violation or uncorrected technical error. 
• Subsequent paperwork violations can attract fines between $1,161 and $2,322. 
• If an employer knowingly hires unauthorized non-citizens, penalties for first offenses range from $627 to $5016 for each worker. 
• Second and subsequent offenses in this category can attract fines from $5,016 to $25,076. 
• Employers who attempt to deceive ICE or disregard credible warnings could face severe fines. 
• ‘Subsequent offenses’ penalties can be imposed regardless of when the previous punishment occurred. 
• Both the frequency of inspections and the amount of fines have increased significantly in recent years. For example, in Fiscal Year 2019, ICE issued 6500 Notices of Inspections and collected $14.3 million in fines, penalties, and forfeitures. 

Source: Paycor