Receipts

Under certain circumstances, an employee may provide a receipt for a document in place of the document itself. There are three (3) types of receipts that can be used in place of an actual document.

SKIP TO:

Lost, Damaged, or Stolen

The first acceptable receipt can be used for any document from List A, B, or C to show that it was either lost, stolen, or damaged, and that the employee has applied for a replacement. This type of receipt is valid for 90 days after the employee’s first day of work, or, for a reverification, 90 days after the expiration date of the employee’s work authorization documentation. The employee will need to bring in the actual replacement document within those 90 days.

Lawful Permanent Residents

The second acceptable receipt pertains to lawful permanent residents and can be used as a List A document in place of a permanent resident card (Form I-551). The employee may present instead the arrival section of Form I-94/I-94A (Arrival-Departure Record), which includes a temporary Form I-551 stamp and a photograph of the employee. The use of this receipt is only valid until the Form I-551 stamp expires. If there is no expiration date, then it is valid for one (1) year after the issuance date. After it expires, the employee needs to bring in their permanent resident card (Form I-551).

Refugees

The third type of receipt applies to refugees. As a receipt for a List A document, a refugee may present either a departure portion of Form I-94/I-94A (Arrival-Departure Record) with a refugee admission stamp, or a computer-generated printout of Form I-94 with the admission code “RE.” This form proves both identity and work authorization and is valid for 90 days after the employee’s first day of work, or, for a reverification, 90 days after the work authorization expiration date. By the end of 90 days, the employee must provide either an Employment Authorization document (Form I-766) or a List B document along with an unrestricted Social Security card.

How does an employer fill out Section 2 with a receipt?

If the employee brings in an acceptable receipt, the employer should enter the document information under the appropriate box and write the word “receipt,” the document title, number, and the date when the 90-day validity period ends. When the employee presents the actual document by the end of this validity period, the employer should go back and cross out “receipt” and any associated document number. The employer should enter the information of the actual document, and initial and date the change.

When are receipts not acceptable?

While an employer can accept a receipt for a lost, stolen, or damaged work authorization document, an employer cannot accept a receipt for an application to initiate or renew work authorization. Employers also cannot accept receipts for workers with an intended employment period of less than three (3) days.

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