.png)
E-Verify Program Grows to Half a Million Companies
If you have not heard about E-Verify, you might have been in the majority at one time. However, as this article USCIS released last week demonstrates, times are changing! More than 500,000 companies now use E-Verify, the free online service provided by USCIS that allows United States employers to confirm the work authorization of their new employees. Participation in E-Verify is largely voluntary and many employers are utilizing this tool to help them maintain a legal workforce.
The growing program has been in existence since 1996, when they had a FY enrollment of 11,474. This is quite a jump to the half million participants who are using E-Verify today. During FY 2013, employers used E-Verify more than 25 million times. Employers who use E-Verify receive a response on their employee’s work authorization status within seconds and 98.8 percent of employees who are work authorized are automatically confirmed instantly or within 24 hours.
You Are One of The Half A Million Companies… Are you safe?
When we set our clients up with corporate immigration compliance, many of them think that having I-9s and being enrolled in E-Verify protects their company from liability. It is definitely true that these are two very important steps in getting in compliance. However, having I-9s and participating in E-Verify are only 2 of the 12 items on ICE Best Employment Practices that the employer should be doing. The employer only has potential protection if they are doing all 12 items on Ice Best Employment Practices.
For more information on following ICE Best Practices, please scoot on over to this article.
For more information on the possible mandatory future of E-Verify in the United States, take a look at this article.
Jessica Haefele
Corporate Immigration Attorney
MDIVANI CORPORATE IMMIGRATION LAW FIRM
7007 College Blvd., Suite
Overland Park, KS 66211
Phone: 913.317.6200
Fax: 913.317.6202
E-mail: JHaefele@uslegalimmigration.com