Acceptable I-9 Documents Based on Citizenship Status

Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, is required to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers must properly complete Form I-9 for every individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and aliens. Both employees and employers (or authorized representatives of the employer) must complete the form. On the form, an employee must attest to their employment authorization. The employee must also present their employer with acceptable documents as evidence of identity and employment authorization. The following are acceptable I-9 documents based on an individual’s citizenship status.

A Citizen of the United States

List A

U.S. Passport

List B

Driver’s license or ID card issued by state
ID card issued by federal, state or local government
School ID card with photograph
Voter’s registration card
U.S. Military card or draft record
Military dependent’s ID card
U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card
Native American tribal document
Driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority

For persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:

School record or report card
Clinic, doctor, or hospital record
Day-care or nursery school record

List C

Unrestricted Social Security card
Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State
Certification of Report of Birth issued by the Department of State
Original or certified copy of the birth certificate
Native American tribal document
U.S. Citizen ID Card
Identification Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the U.S.
Employment

A Noncitizen National of the U.S.

List A

U.S. Passport

List B

Driver’s license or ID card issued by state
ID card issued by federal, state or local government
School ID card with photograph
U.S. Military card or draft record
Military dependent’s ID card
U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card

For persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:

School record or report card
Clinic, doctor, or hospital record
Day-care or nursery school record

List C

Unrestricted Social Security card
Original or certified copy of birth certificate
Employment authorization document issued by
DHS

This citizenship status is very uncommon.
See I-9 instructions for more details. A noncitizen national is defined as: Noncitizen nationals of the U.S. are persons born in American Samoa, certain former citizens of the former Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and certain children of noncitizen nationals born abroad.

A Lawful Permanent Resident

List A

Form I-551 – Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card
Foreign Passport with I-551 Stamp or Printed Notation
Form I-94 containing unexpired temporary I-551 stamp – Receipt

List B

Driver’s license or ID card issued by state
ID card issued by federal, state or local government
School ID card with photograph
Voter’s registration card
U.S. Military card or draft record
Military dependent’s ID card
U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card
Driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority

For persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:

School record or report card
Clinic, doctor, or hospital record
Day-care or nursery school record List C
Unrestricted Social Security card

A card that includes any of the following restrictions is not an acceptable List C document:

Not valid for employment
Valid for work only with INS authorization
Valid for work only with DHS authorization

An Alien Authorized to Work

List A

Form I-766 – Employment Authorization Document with photograph
Foreign passport with I-94 or I-94A
Foreign passport with I-94 or I-94A and I-20
Foreign passport with I-94 or I-94A and DS-2019
FSM or RMI Passport with I-94 or I-94A
Form I-94 with a Refugee Admission Stamp – Receipt
Unexpired Employment Authorization Document with photograph (Forms I-668, I-668A, or I-668B)

List B

Driver’s license or ID card issued by state
ID card issued by federal, state or local government
School ID card with photograph
Voter’s registration card
Driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority

For persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:

School record or report card
Clinic, doctor, or hospital record
Day-care or nursery school record

List C

Unrestricted Social Security card
Employment authorization document issued by DHS

Possible F-1 Student Documents

List A

Form I-766 – Employment Authorization Document with photograph
Foreign passport with I-94 or I-94A and I-20
Foreign passport with I-94 or I-94A and endorsed
CPT I-20
Employment Authorization Document with proof of STEM filing or an I-20 endorsed with STEM OPT
Employment Authorization Document and proof of H-1 pending for cap-gap purposes

List B

Driver’s license or ID card issued by state
ID card issued by federal, state or local government
School ID card with photograph
Voter’s registration card
Driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority

For persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:

School record or report card
Clinic, doctor, or hospital record
Day-care or nursery school record

List C

Unrestricted Social Security card

Possible J-1 Student Documents

List A

Foreign passport with I-94 or I-94A and DS-2019

List B

Driver’s license or ID card issued by state
ID card issued by federal, state or local government
School ID card with photograph
Voter’s registration card
Driver’s license issued by a Canadian government authority

For persons under age 18 who are unable to present a document listed above:

School record or report card
Clinic, doctor, or hospital record
Day-care or nursery school record

List C

Unrestricted Social Security card

A card that includes any of the following restrictions is not an acceptable List C document:

Not valid for employment
Valid for work only with INS authorization
Valid for work only with DHS authorization