USCIS I-9 Acceptable Documents

Form I-9 requires an employee to show their employer evidence of identity and authorization to work in the United States. USCIS organises the acceptable documents into three lists — List A (identity and work authorization), List B (identity only) and List C (work authorization only). This guide explains the three lists, the passport-plus-I-94 rule, and the current card designs. Verified against uscis.gov, 2026-09-30.

The three lists at a glance

The logic is straightforward once you see it. List A is the one-step route: a single document that does both jobs. Lists B and C are the two-step route: identity from one list, work authorization from the other, presented together. An employee who presents an acceptable List A document should not be asked for anything else.

List A — identity and work authorization in one

USCIS describes the List A documents as those that show both identity and employment authorization. A detail worth remembering is that some List A items are themselves a combination of two or more documents: when that is the case, USCIS says the documents presented together count as one List A document. That is how a passport plus a Form I-94 works — it is a single List A entry made of two pieces of paper.

Because each List A document proves both things an employer must verify, the employer's task is simpler: check the document is genuine and unexpired, record it, and move on. Nothing else is required from the employee if the List A document is acceptable.

Foreign passports and Form I-94

This is the rule most often got wrong. A foreign passport is a List A document only when it travels with a Form I-94 or I-94A Arrival-Departure Record. The I-94 must bear the same name as the passport and must contain an endorsement of the person's nonimmigrant status and of their authorization to work for a specific employer based on that status.

Two conditions apply. The passport-plus-I-94 may be used only if the period of endorsement has not yet expired, and only if the proposed employment does not conflict with any restrictions or limitations listed on Form I-94 or I-94A. USCIS also notes that some people who present this List A document — for example certain nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors — must present additional documentation to prove their work authorization.

There is a practical wrinkle. In April 2013, Form I-94 was automated at airports and seaports, so U.S. Customs and Border Protection no longer automatically hands travellers a paper copy. Travellers can access their Form I-94 information through the CBP website, or may request a paper version during the inspection process. A passport also may be presented with a Form I-94 or I-94A showing nonimmigrant admission under the Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia or the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

If you are preparing the photo side of a passport or visa application rather than the I-9 paperwork itself, our US visa photo requirements guide, the US passport photo page and the photo size chart cover the formats; the passport photo checker can test a photo against a country's published figures.

Permanent Resident Card and EAD: the 2023 redesigns

To reduce fraud and counterfeiting, USCIS redesigns the Permanent Resident Card (PRC, the “Green Card”) and the Employment Authorization Document (EAD) every three to five years. Two points matter for an I-9 check. First, introducing a new design does not invalidate cards with previous designs — both current and previous cards remain valid until the expiration date shown on the card, unless an automatic extension applies (for example via a Form I-797 Notice of Action or a Federal Register notice). Second, the most recent redesigns began on January 30, 2023, but some cards issued after that date may still display the previous design, because USCIS uses existing card stock until supplies run out.

So a card that does not look like the newest picture is not automatically a problem. The question is whether it is a genuine card and whether it is still valid. Permanent Resident Cards issued through January 2021 may also carry a USCIS-issued sticker extending validity to the date printed on the sticker.

List B — identity only

List B documents establish only identity, so an employee who presents one must also present a List C document. USCIS accepts unexpired List B documents including a driver's licence issued by any US state or territory (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands) or by a Canadian government authority. A licence is acceptable if it contains a photograph, or, if it does not, if it carries identifying information such as name, date of birth, sex, height, eye colour and address.

An ID card issued by a state or local government is also acceptable, on the same basis. Examples include federal employee personal identity verification (PIV) or common access cards (CAC), state or local government employee ID cards, and state-issued prison inmate ID cards. Military identification also features: the ID card issued to active-duty US military personnel, the selected reserve, Department of Defense civilian employees and eligible contractor personnel, and the ID card for US military family members and military retirees. For younger applicants, USCIS also lists school records or report cards, clinic, doctor or hospital records, and day-care or nursery school records.

List C — work authorization only

List C documents establish only employment authorization, so they must be paired with a List B identity document. On Social Security cards, USCIS is precise: only an unrestricted Social Security card is acceptable, and it must not be laminated. Restricted cards are not acceptable as List C documents — that means cards bearing NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT, VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH INS AUTHORIZATION, or VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION.

Birth documents are acceptable in specific forms: an original or certified copy of a US birth certificate bearing an official seal (versions vary by state and year of birth); the State Department forms F-545 Certification of Birth Abroad, DS-1350 Certification of Report of Birth, and FS-240 Consular Report of Birth Abroad. A Puerto Rico birth certificate is acceptable only if issued on or after July 1, 2010. Other List C documents include INS Form I-179, and a range of DHS-issued employment authorization documents such as a Form I-94 issued to asylees or work-authorized nonimmigrants, Form I-571 Refugee Travel Document, an unexpired Form I-327 Reentry Permit, Form N-560 or N-561 Certificate of Citizenship, and Form N-550 or N-570 Certificate of Naturalization.

Receipts and combinations

USCIS allows a receipt for a replacement of a lost, stolen or damaged List A, B or C document to be presented in lieu of the document itself, for a temporary period. The validity dates for such receipts are set out in the M-274 employer handbook. One useful combination is that a Form I-797 issued to a conditional resident may be an acceptable List C document together with an expired Form I-551, and Form I-94 documents issued to a lawful permanent resident with an I-551 stamp and a photograph, or to a refugee with the “RE” notation or a refugee stamp, appear among the List A items.

Common mistakes

• Asking a List A holder for a second document — not required if the List A document is acceptable.
• Accepting a foreign passport without the matching Form I-94 or I-94A.
• Overlooking that an I-94 endorsement has expired, or that the job conflicts with a restriction on the I-94.
• Rejecting an older PRC or EAD design: previous designs remain valid until the printed expiry.
• Accepting a restricted (or laminated) Social Security card as List C.
• Forgetting the extra documentation some students and exchange visitors must provide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the I-9 acceptable documents lists?
Form I-9 uses three lists. List A documents establish both identity and employment authorization. List B documents establish identity only. List C documents establish employment authorization only. If an employee presents a List A document, no other document is needed.

Does an employee need to show more than one document?
Not if they present an acceptable List A document — those employees should not be asked to present any other document. If they choose a List B document instead, they must also present one from List C, because List B proves identity only.

What counts as a List A document for a foreign worker?
A common List A example is a foreign passport presented together with a Form I-94 or I-94A Arrival-Departure Record. The I-94 must bear the same name as the passport and contain an endorsement of the person's nonimmigrant status and work authorization.

Can a foreign passport be used on its own?
No. The passport must be accompanied by a Form I-94 or I-94A with the same name, and it may only be used while the period of endorsement has not expired and the proposed employment does not conflict with any restrictions listed on the I-94 or I-94A.

Are the new Permanent Resident Card and EAD designs required?
No. USCIS began its most recent redesigns of the Permanent Resident Card and the Employment Authorization Document on January 30, 2023, but previous designs remain valid until the expiration date shown on the card unless an extension applies.

Do students and exchange visitors need anything extra?
Sometimes. USCIS notes that certain nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors who present the passport-plus-I-94 List A document must present additional documentation to prove their work authorization.

What is the difference between List B and List C?
List B documents establish identity only, and List C documents establish employment authorization only. An employee who presents a List B document must also present a List C document for Section 2 of Form I-9.

Which Social Security cards are not acceptable?
Only an unrestricted Social Security card is acceptable as a List C document. Restricted cards are not, including cards marked NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT, VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH INS AUTHORIZATION, or VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION.

Can a receipt be used instead of a document?
Yes, for a temporary period. A receipt for a replacement of a lost, stolen or damaged List A, B or C document may be presented in lieu of the document itself, for the validity dates USCIS sets out in the M-274 employer handbook.

Does the I-9 page list photos?
The I-9 lists are about identity and work-authorization documents, not about photo specifications for those documents. If you are preparing a passport or visa photo instead, our photo guides and checker cover the size and framing rules.

Related: US visa photo requirements, the US passport photo page, the photo size chart, the passport photo checker, or browse every guide on the guides page.

All guides →  US visa photo →

Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Form I-9 Acceptable Documents (uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents), retrieved 2026-09-30, together with the M-274 employer handbook it references. Acceptable-document lists and card designs can change, so confirm the current requirements on USCIS before completing Section 2 of Form I-9.