---
title: What Employers (Don't Really) Need to Know about the New I-9 | Complete Payroll
description: The USCIS has made some updates to the language of the I-9, but it's nothing you and your team need to worry about... yet.
---

[The Complete Payroll Blog ](https://www.completepayroll.com/blog)

# [What Employers (Don't Really) Need to Know about the New I-9 | Complete Payroll](https://www.completepayroll.com/blog/what-employers-really-dont-need-to-know-about-the-new-i-9)

 Written by [Erik Trimboli, Tax Manager](https://www.completepayroll.com/blog/author/erik-trimboli) | Apr 8, 2025 2:00:00 PM

On April 2, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released an updated version of the I-9 form.  However, it's important to note that employers are not immediately required to switch to this latest version.  

### What's New on the I-9 Form?

The revisions to the I-9 primarily consist of several important wording changes:

- The term "noncitizen" has been replaced with "alien."
- The term "gender" has been replaced with "sex."
- The edition date on the form now reads "1/20/25."

These changes are also reflected in the accompanying [Form I-9 Instructions](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9) and the [Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Privacy Notice](https://www.dhs.gov/privacy-policy-guidance). Furthermore, these terminology updates have already been updated in the E-Verify and E-Verify+ systems.

### What This Means for Employers

Essentially, nothing. Currently, the use of the new Form I-9 is optional. Employers can continue to use the previous versions of the form, both of which have an edition date of 8/1/23. These older versions remain valid through their respective expiration dates in 2026 and 2027.

**Important Note for E-Verify Users:** If your organization utilizes E-Verify and you continue to use the 8/1/23 versions of Form I-9, be aware of a slight discrepancy in terminology. If an employee indicates on the Form I-9 that they are "a noncitizen authorized to work," you will need to select "an alien authorized to work" within the E-Verify system to ensure accurate information transfer.

[View full post](https://www.completepayroll.com/blog/what-employers-really-dont-need-to-know-about-the-new-i-9)

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