AAU joined CUPA-HR and 11 other higher education organizations in sending a letter to USCIS Director Ur Jaddou requesting an extension of previously announced flexibilities on Form I-9 compliance requirements. The initial guidance, issued at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, permits remote inspection of employee identity and employment authorization documents; it expires on August 31, 2021.
The spread of the Delta variant, the letter noted, has created uncertainties for human resources professionals planning to bring employees back to campus. The growing unpredictability makes it “critical that colleges and universities be able to avail themselves of the I-9 Flexibility Guidance,” the letter stated. The letter also urged DHS to extend the timeframe employers currently have to conduct in-person verification of identity and employment eligibility documentation once employees return to campus.