I-9 Employment Verification: A Guide for El Paso Employers (and How a Mobile Notary Can Help)

El Paso businesses hire people constantly — the warehouse down the street, the clinic across town, the new team member who will never set foot in your office. Hiring is the good part. The paperwork is where things go sideways, and Form I-9 is the one with the tightest clock attached to it. Here’s a plain-English walkthrough of what the form actually asks for, which documents a new hire can bring, and how an authorized representative — a mobile notary, for many employers — can complete the in-person document review when your new hire can’t come to you.

One thing worth getting straight at the start: completing an I-9 for you is a document review performed as your authorized representative. It is not a notarization. No notary seal or stamp goes on the form and no notarial certificate is attached. What you’re getting is a careful, trained pair of eyes plus a signature confirming that the original documents were physically examined in person.

What Form I-9 Is — and Who Has to Complete It

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, is the federal form used to confirm two things about every person you hire to work in the United States: that they are who they say they are, and that they are authorized to work. It comes in two parts. Section 1 belongs to the employee — they complete and sign it themselves, no earlier than their first day of work. Section 2 belongs to you: someone in a position to look at the employee’s original documents has to examine them and record what was presented. Both sections must be finished, and a completed form has to be kept on file for every employee — including part-time, seasonal, and remote hires.

The Three-Day Rule for Section 2

The employee’s deadline is their first day. Your deadline is three business days after the first day of employment. That clock starts whether or not anyone at your company has met the new hire in person. And the person completing Section 2 must physically examine the original documents while in the same room as the employee — a photocopy, a phone photo, or a scan emailed across town does not satisfy that requirement. That single rule is exactly why remote and out-of-town hires get stuck: somewhere, in person, inside the window, the documents have to be looked at.

The Documents Your New Hire Can Present

At a high level, your employee chooses from the Lists of Acceptable Documents. List A documents establish both identity and work authorization on their own — a U.S. passport is the familiar example. Alternatively, they can pair one document from List B, which shows identity, such as a driver’s license, with one from List C, which shows work authorization, such as a Social Security card. The choice belongs to the employee. Demanding a particular document, refusing a valid one, or asking for more proof than the list calls for is where employers get into trouble. Let your new hire pick, then confirm that what they hand you is original and reasonably genuine on its face.

When an Authorized Representative Helps

You don’t have to be the one holding the documents. An employer may designate an authorized representative to examine the documents and complete Section 2 on its behalf — a practical option for a small business with no HR department, a company hiring in another city, or an El Paso office whose new hire lives in Las Cruces. A mobile notary is a common choice precisely because checking a person against government-issued photo ID is already the heart of the job. Two cautions worth repeating: the representative must physically examine the originals in person, and responsibility for the form never moves. You remain the employer of record, still answerable for the form’s accuracy and retention no matter who filled it in.

How a Royal Seal Appointment Works in El Paso and Las Cruces

In practice, it’s a short visit. You send me the employee’s contact details and the I-9 to be completed, and I meet your new hire wherever is convenient — your office, a job site, a co-working space, or another spot that works — anywhere in El Paso or Las Cruces. I examine the original documents, complete Section 2 accurately, and return the finished form to you the same day for your files. Same-day and after-hours appointments are often available when a start date lands on short notice, and our mobile notary post explains how a visit generally runs.

What to Have Ready

• Section 1, completed and signed by the employee, dated no earlier than their first day.
• The original documents the employee has chosen to present — not photocopies or photos.
• Your business name and address, plus the A-number or USCIS receipt number fields if they apply.
• How you’d like the finished form returned to you, and to whom.
• Any written instructions from your HR system, payroll provider, or counsel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you put a notary seal on the I-9?

No. This is an authorized-representative document review, not a notarization. There is no seal, no stamp, and no notarial certificate — only the reviewer’s signature confirming the originals were examined in person.

Can the review be done over video?

For most employers, no. Section 2 calls for the reviewer to physically examine the originals alongside the employee, so we meet in person. Employers enrolled in E-Verify have a separate, case-by-case remote review process with its own eligibility rules.

How long does the appointment take?

Usually about fifteen minutes once the employee arrives with the right documents in hand.

Who keeps the form afterward?

You do. I-9s are generally retained for three years after the hire date or one year after the employee leaves, whichever comes later, and are best stored apart from general personnel files.

What happens if something on the form looks wrong?

I flag it rather than guess. A reviewer shouldn’t fill in blanks or correct an employee’s entries on their behalf, so I’ll tell you precisely what’s missing and let it be fixed properly.

Se Habla Español

Se habla español — servicio bilingüe para empleadores y empleados. Si su empresa necesita que se revisen los documentos de un nuevo empleado en El Paso o Las Cruces, con gusto le ayudamos en español. Llame al (915) 209-0119.

Prefer to start with a message instead of a call? Send the details through our contact page or email schedule@royalseal.net.

I am not an attorney and cannot give legal advice. For questions about your specific compliance obligations, consult an employment attorney or official USCIS guidance.