Updating your I-9 after citizenship is voluntary, not required. U.S. citizenship has no expiration date, so naturalization is not one of the events that triggers reverification under federal I-9 rules. If your file already shows permanent work authorization from a Green Card, your employer cannot demand new documents from you. You can still choose to update the form, and many people do, because accurate records prevent confusion during a future government audit and keep your file consistent with the rest of your identification.
Why the Update Is Not Required
Federal I-9 rules require reverification only when an employee’s work authorization or the document proving it expires. Citizenship never expires. The official USCIS instructions tell employers not to reverify U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, or lawful permanent residents who originally presented a Permanent Resident Card or other documentation not subject to reverification.1USCIS. Instructions for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification The Department of Justice goes further, warning that reverifying a lawful permanent resident’s Green Card may violate the anti-discrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.2U.S. Department of Justice. IER’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
So if an employer asks to reverify you after you naturalize, the request is legally unnecessary. The decision to update is yours.
Correcting Section 1
When you first completed the I-9, you checked a box in Section 1 attesting to your status at the time, probably “a lawful permanent resident.” After naturalization, that attestation is out of date. USCIS guidance lets you correct Section 1 by drawing a line through the old information, writing the correct status (“a citizen of the United States”), and initialing and dating the change.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Correcting Errors or Missing Information on Form I-9 Only you (or your original preparer or translator) can change Section 1. Your employer cannot do it for you. No correction fluid, no erasing.
This step is easy to miss because most guidance focuses on Supplement B. But Section 1 is where the citizenship attestation lives. If you skip it, your file still shows you as a permanent resident even though the newer part of the form reflects citizenship documents.
Documents You Can Present
You get to choose which document to present. Two straightforward options both come from List A, meaning they establish identity and employment authorization at once:
- A U.S. passport.
- A U.S. passport card, which works the same as the full passport for I-9 purposes.
Both appear on the List A acceptable documents for Form I-9.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Acceptable Documents for Verifying Employment Authorization and Identity
A Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570) is a List C document. It proves employment authorization but not identity.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. List C Documents That Establish Employment Authorization If you present the naturalization certificate, you also have to present a List B identity document such as a driver’s license. Using a passport skips the two-document requirement entirely.
Your employer cannot tell you which document to present. An employer who insists on seeing a specific document, such as demanding a naturalization certificate when you offer a valid passport, may be committing an unfair documentary practice under federal law.2U.S. Department of Justice. IER’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What the Employer Fills In
The part of the form used for this update is now called Supplement B, Reverification and Rehires. Older versions of the form called this Section 3, but the current edition (08/01/2023 or later) uses the Supplement B format.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Completing Supplement B, Reverification and Rehires (formerly Section 3) If the version originally on file has expired, the employer must use a current Supplement B.
Your employer fills out Supplement B after looking at your document. They record three things: the document title (for example, “U.S. Passport”), the document number, and the expiration date if applicable. They then sign and date Supplement B to certify they reviewed the document.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Completing Supplement B, Reverification and Rehires (formerly Section 3) The employer examines an original, unexpired document to confirm it reasonably appears genuine and relates to the person presenting it. They do not need to be document experts.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Examining Documents Your role is to correct Section 1 and hand over the document. The rest is on the employer.
If Your Name Changed During Naturalization
Some people take a new legal name as part of the naturalization process. If your name on the naturalization certificate is different from the name on your original Form I-9, the employer records the new name in the appropriate field on Supplement B. USCIS guidance also directs employers to ask for legal documentation of the name change, such as a court order or the naturalization certificate itself, and to keep a copy with the I-9 file.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Recording Changes of Name and Other Identity Information for Current Employees
Update your Social Security record, passport, driver’s license, and other identification so everything matches. Mismatched names across government databases are one of the most common causes of E-Verify mismatches later on.
What Your Employer Cannot Do
The I-9 process is one of the more common places employment discrimination shows up, and naturalized citizens are frequent targets. Federal law prohibits unfair documentary practices based on citizenship status or national origin. Your employer cannot request more documents than required, insist on specific documents, or reject documents that reasonably appear genuine.2U.S. Department of Justice. IER’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Treating naturalized citizens differently from U.S.-born citizens during the I-9 process is illegal. Requiring a naturalized citizen to show both a passport and a naturalization certificate to be safe, for example, crosses the line. In one case, an employer that required non-citizens to produce specific immigration documents while letting U.S.-born citizens choose their own agreed to pay $455,000 in penalties.9U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. IER Unlawful Employment Discrimination Based on Citizenship and National Origin If you believe you are being asked for unnecessary documentation or treated differently because you are a naturalized citizen, you can contact the Department of Justice’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER).
Update Your Social Security Record Too
The I-9 is one piece. After naturalization, update your citizenship status with the Social Security Administration by applying for a replacement Social Security card. You can start the process online, which schedules an in-person appointment where you bring proof of identity and your new citizenship status (typically the naturalization certificate or U.S. passport). The updated card arrives by mail within five to ten business days.10Social Security Administration. Update Citizenship or Immigration Status
This matters for I-9 reasons. If a future employer runs you through E-Verify, the system checks your information against Social Security Administration records. An SSA file that still lists you as a lawful permanent resident can trigger a Tentative Nonconfirmation when you change jobs, even though your citizenship is entirely valid.11E-Verify. E-Verify User Manual Updating SSA now heads off that problem before it happens.