Form I-9 Supplement A is the certification page that any person who helped an employee complete or translate Section 1 must sign, and it sits on page 3 of the standard I-9 PDF. Use a separate Supplement A block for each helper. If the employee filled out Section 1 without any assistance, skip Supplement A entirely; the employer isn’t even required to keep a blank copy on file.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
When Supplement A Is Required
The trigger is narrow. Supplement A applies only when someone other than the employee physically enters information in Section 1 or translates the form so the employee can understand it.2eCFR. 8 CFR 274a.2 – Verification of Identity and Employment Authorization That helper is called the “preparer and/or translator.”
An employee who reads the form, fills it out, and signs it on their own does not need Supplement A. In that case the employee checks the box in Section 1 confirming no assistance was used, and the employer doesn’t have to provide or retain a Supplement A page. Some employers reflexively print and file a blank copy for every hire. Don’t. A blank Supplement A in the file can create inconsistency during an audit and adds paperwork the rules don’t ask for.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
Who Can Sign as Preparer or Translator
USCIS defines the preparer and/or translator broadly as “any individual who helps the employee complete or translates Section 1 for the employee.” The official instructions set no minimum age, no citizenship requirement, and no professional credential. A coworker, family member, HR representative, community volunteer, or professional translator can all serve. The only condition is that the person actually helped and is willing to sign the certification.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
There is no cap on how many helpers an employee can use. If one person entered the data and another translated, each completes a separate certification block.
One boundary worth flagging: the preparer or translator role covers Section 1 only. The person who examines identity and work-authorization documents for Section 2 is an “authorized representative,” which is a different role with its own rules.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Completing Section 2, Employer Review and Attestation
How to Fill Out the Certification
Supplement A is page 3 of the Form I-9 PDF on the USCIS website; the full form downloads as one file. As of 2026, employers should be using the edition with an expiration date of 05/31/2027.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
The page has two parts. At the top, enter the employee’s last name, first name, and middle initial exactly as they appear in Section 1. That header keeps Supplement A tied to the correct I-9 if pages are ever separated in storage.
Then the preparer or translator completes their own certification block:
- Signature (handwritten or electronic).
- Date of signing, which should be the same day the employee completes Section 1.
- Last name and first name (full legal name).
- Street address, city, state, and ZIP code.
By signing, the preparer attests that they helped complete Section 1 and that the information is true and correct to the best of their knowledge.
For any field that doesn’t apply, write “N/A” instead of leaving it blank. A blank field looks like an oversight on inspection; “N/A” reads as a deliberate answer. Complete the certification at the same time the employee finishes Section 1. Filling it in days later, or backdating it, creates a compliance gap that auditors treat as a substantive error.
Minors Who Cannot Present Identity Documents
When a minor under 18 cannot present a List B identity document, a parent or legal guardian can complete Section 1 on the minor’s behalf, write “Individual under age 18” in the employee signature block, and then complete a Supplement A certification block as the preparer. Employers enrolled in E-Verify cannot use this workaround; in those cases the minor must present either a List A document or a List B document with a photograph together with a List C document.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers M-274 – 4.2 Minors (Individuals under Age 18)
Multiple Preparers or Translators
Page 3 holds one certification block. If a second person also helped, print an additional Supplement A page for that person, and keep every completed page with the employee’s I-9.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
Correcting Errors on Supplement A
The correction rules for Supplement A differ from other parts of the form. Only the employer or authorized representative can correct Section 2 and Supplement B. But for Supplement A, the preparer or translator who made the mistake should fix it.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers M-274 – 9.0 Correcting Errors or Missing Information on Form I-9
The method is simple:
- Draw a single line through the incorrect entry so it stays legible. Never use correction fluid.
- Write the correct information above or next to the crossed-out text.
- Initial and date the change.
Alternatively, the preparer can cross out the error and have the employee enter the correction, with the employee initialing and dating it. If someone has already used correction fluid on a form, don’t try to hide it. Attach a signed and dated note explaining what happened.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Self-Audits and Correcting Mistakes
Electronic Signatures
Supplement A can be signed electronically, but the system capturing the signature has to meet federal standards. The system must:
- Let the signer acknowledge that they have read the attestation.
- Attach the signature to the completed form.
- Affix the signature at the time of the transaction, not later.
- Create and preserve a record verifying the signer’s identity.
- Provide a printed confirmation to the employee on request.
The system also needs controls against unauthorized changes and an audit trail recording every alteration since the form was created. A system that doesn’t meet these standards can cause DHS to treat the form as improperly completed, which is a paperwork violation.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers M-274 – Form I-9 and Storage Systems
Where Supplement A Goes After It’s Signed
Completed Supplement A pages stay with the employer, attached to the employee’s I-9. Nothing gets mailed to USCIS or any other agency during routine hiring.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Completing Form I-9
Retention runs three years from the date of hire or one year after employment ends, whichever is later.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers M-274 – 10.0 Retaining Form I-9 For a short-tenure employee, the three-years-from-hire date usually controls. For a long-tenure employee, the one-year-after-separation date will be later. Add three years to the hire date, add one year to the separation date, and keep the form until whichever comes second.
Audit Exposure for a Missing Supplement A
When ICE opens an I-9 inspection, the employer receives a Notice of Inspection and must produce the requested forms within at least three business days.11U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Form I-9 Inspection Under Immigration and Nationality Act Section 274A A missing or incomplete Supplement A page is a form violation like any other.
ICE splits errors into two categories. Technical or procedural failures are minor and correctable, and the employer gets ten business days to fix them during the inspection. Substantive violations cannot be corrected during the audit. A missing preparer certification, when one was required, falls on the substantive side because it leaves a gap in the chain of responsibility for Section 1.
The statute authorizes civil penalties of $100 to $1,000 per form for paperwork violations, with the amount adjusted upward for inflation each year.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1324a – Unlawful Employment of Aliens Building Supplement A into your onboarding checklist, so the certification is completed and signed the same day as Section 1, is the simplest way to close the exposure.
Reverification Uses Supplement B, Not A
When an employee’s work authorization expires and the employer reverifies eligibility, the form to complete is Supplement B (formerly Section 3), not Supplement A.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Completing Supplement B, Reverification and Rehires (Formerly Section 3) The original Supplement A from the initial hire stays attached and isn’t updated or re-signed. A fresh Supplement A only enters the picture if the employer completes an entirely new Form I-9 for a rehired employee and that employee again uses a preparer or translator for Section 1.