I am a longtime independent consultant being hired by a small, foreign-owned minority company. The HR person insists that the Department of Labor demands to get "certifications" from all my past employers, my college diploma and who knows what all.

This is the first I ever heard of such a thing. If a company wants to check out someone's background, they do it or pay a third party to do it. In any of my consulting or full-time jobs, no one has ever given me a "certificate," nor have I ever heard of one requested by the government.

I could see this for potentially illegal aliens, but I'm a US citizen. Has the world moved on so much in the 15 years since I last got hired full time? Just what are the new hire's document responsibility besides showing proof of citizenship?

Will you be working in the US or abroad? If in the US you need only show ID and complete an I-9 form. However if you are working aborad you will need to produce documentation of your right to work in whatever country you will be in.