Tax Documents

How does GoCo meet the USCIS Form I-9 storage and compliance rules?

Table of Contents

Common Questions Answered

Detailed Summary of Form I-9 Compliance with GoCo

Common Questions Answered

Here are some quick high level questions answered about how GoCo handles I-9s.

Are I-9 forms and any related documents stored electronically in the cloud?

Yes, the documents are stored securely in the cloud with GoCo. 

Does this storage meet USCIS requirements? How?

Yes, GoCo stores the I-9 for all employees digitally in one place. It's important as a company to ensure that all employees have a properly completed Form I-9 that is stored in a consistent manner (paper or digital with signature). GoCo helps companies by creating a standardized digital way of sending the Form I-9 to the employee to complete and sign, and for the Company Admin or third party  to review, certify and sign.The Form I-9 documents are stored on GoCo indefinitely and are not deleted (unless the company opts to do so) thus meeting the requirement to hold onto the forms at least 3 years after date of hire.

Can a form, either incomplete or complete, be printed out if an employee wishes to enter any or all data by hand?

You're able to download an I-9 in any status on GoCo by going to an employee profile, locating the I-9 in the document section, and choosing the download option in the menu. You will be able to see it for both complete and incomplete documents, and you also have the option to re-upload to the employee's profile once completed.

Detailed Summary of I-9 Compliance with GoCo

The USCIS has a specific list of requirements outlined that companies should follow when considering using electronic Form I-9s. Here are those requirements, and how GoCo ensures compliance in those areas.

Electronically Signing Form I-9

If you complete the Form I-9 electronically using an electronic signature, your system for capturing electronic signatures must:

  • Allow individuals to acknowledge that they read the attestation;
    • GoCo requires the employee to acknowledge that they read the attestation and agree to the I-9 during onboarding.
  • Attach the electronic signature to an electronically completed Form I-9;
  • Affix the electronic signature at the time of the transaction;
    • GoCo captures the employee's signature, and attaches it immediately to the Form I-9 document at the time of signing as shown here:
  • Create and preserve a record verifying the identity of the person producing the signature;
    • GoCo captures and stores the identity of the user signing the I-9, at the time of signing. The information captured includes:
      • GoCo User Account
      • Signature Date
      • Signature Image (the signature drawn by the user)
      • IP Address (contains technical location data of where the user's computer was located at the time of signing. Note: this may be different if user is using a VPN or Proxy service)
  • Upon the employee’s request, provide a printed confirmation of the transaction; and
    • The employee can log into GoCo and download a copy of their Form I-9 from their Documents section. Alternatively, a Company Admin with access can also download the Form I-9 copy and send it to the employee outside of GoCo if needed.
  • Include a method to acknowledge you have attested to the required information in Section 2.
    • Once an employee completes Section 1 of the I-9, a Company Admin with permission will be notified and ask to complete Section 2 along with the attestation here. If remote I-9 verification is enabled, a third party designated verifier will be asked to complete section 2 along with the attestation.
    • On the final screen, a full preview of the I-9 will display and the verifier will be asked to sign.

Retaining Electronic Form I-9 Securely

If you retain Form I-9 electronically, you must implement an effective records security program that ensures:

  • Only authorized personnel have access to electronic records;
    • GoCo's advanced permission settings allow the company full flexibility to decide who has access to I-9 for specific employees.
  • You have a backup plan to recover records to protect against information loss;
    • GoCo uses Amazon's leading data-storage centers to store all information, including I-9 documents, safely and securely. Because of this, data backups are built into the core of GoCo's foundation and happen automatically. By uploading your I-9s into GoCo, you can be confident that your I-9 records are retained safely and securely helping protect your company against potential information loss.
  • Authorized personnel are trained to minimize the risk of wrongfully or accidentally altering or erasing electronic records; and
    • Using GoCo Permissions, you can restrict and ensure only the correct people in your company have the ability to modify or remove information. For I-9 documents, GoCo has the ability to archive the I-9 if needed. An archived document can be accessed and unarchived at anytime if a mistake was made, ensuring the document is never permanently deleted.
  • The system creates a secure and permanent record when an individual creates, completes, updates, modifies, alters, or corrects an electronic file. This record should include the date of access, the identity of the individual who accessed the electronic record, and the particular action they took.
    • When signing or completing the I-9, GoCo maintains a record of that person which captures the following:
      • GoCo User Account
      • Signature Date
      • Signature Image (the signature drawn by the user)
      • IP Address (contains technical location data of where the user's computer was located at the time of signing. Note: this may be different if user is using a VPN or Proxy service)
      • Action Taken along with information entered.
    • If any of this granular information is needed, an Activity Report on the employee record showing WHO, ACTION, WHAT and WHEN was entered into the system can be viewed:

 

For more information on the USCIS requirements, click here.


If you have any further questions or concerns, please let us know by emailing help@goco.io