I-9s and E-Verify Crackdown on Violators – Be Aware
Form I-9 violators will have problems if they are not aware. Immigration compliance requires ever business to be aware of their legal responsibilities. Not knowing the regulations will be costly. In 2010, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted its highest number of I-9 audits ever. And many more audits are coming in 2011. It’s all part of the Obama administration’s “bold new audit initiative” to find and punish employers that violate immigration laws and fail to properly complete I-9s. If you are interested in this full article link below.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342
What’s New in March – E-Verify Self Check Goes Live
Have you heard about the “new” E-Verify Self Check? E-Verify Self-Check will allow individuals to check their own work authorization status prior to being hired by an employer. The purpose of allowing self-check is to facilitate the correction of errors which might lead to an employer receiving a tentative non-confirmation (TNC) at the time they process a new hire through E-Verify.
USCIS will roll-out “self-check” to users who maintain an address and are physically located in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. This limited trial will allow for feedback and proper testing before E-Verify Self-Check is available nationwide. Click here to see the DHS published info about self check.
One has to ask the question, “Who does this benefit?” The current E-Verify process already allows for the possibility that a new hire’s information may be incorrect in government databases and has a very specific procedure the employer must follow if they receive a tentative non-confirmation (TNC) from E-Verify.
In the case of a TNC, the employer must give the employee the opportunity to correct erroneous information with the government and may not take any adverse action against the employee until they have been given the opportunity to correct that information. The employer must allow the employee to continue to work until the TNC has been resolved.
So why would an individual need to run a “self-check” before applying for a job? While some people may want to use E-Verify Self Check to satisfy their own curiosity, the only “real” reason I can think of is to check one’s FAKE or STOLEN DOCUMENTS to see if E-Verify will verify work authorization before taking the chance of presenting those fraudulent documents to an employer – which constitutes a felony!
To date, one of the most common objections to E-Verify is it encourages document fraud. In the case of identity theft, E-Verify often cannot discern if the documents presented by a new hire actually belong to that individual. This is a loop-hole that is getting smaller but is still a valid concern for employer’s who are using E-Verify.
From my perspective Self-Check creates many more problems than the “enhancement” it is designed to resolve. If an unauthorized worker wants to check to see if the fake documents he purchased are going to pass muster with an E-Verify employer, all he needs to do is use Self-Check.
We already know based on past performance that E-Verify is not an effective tool in recognizing cases of identity theft so again, I ask the question – who does this benefit? For me, the answer is obvious.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-303-658-9342
E-verify Must Be Used by All Federal Contractors
E-Verify will soon be required of all federal contractors. Many state legislatures are also enacting state laws mandating employer use of E-Verify. Federal (and in many states, state) contractors are now required to participate in the E-Verify program to confirm employment eligibility. Although E-Verify is an extension of and improvement for the existing I-9 laws all employee, it is also directed at illegal immigrant work authorization.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
Federal Contractors Not Using E-verify
E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by Department of Homeland Security (DHS/U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA). E-Verify is currently free to employers and is available in all 50 states. E-Verify provides an automated link to federal databases to help employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
Things Have Changed with E-Verify
“On Sunday, June 13th, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rolled out what it claimed to be a newly-designed, improved and user-friendly E-Verify, continuing its promotion and marketing of the E-Verify system with its announcement of a system-wide redesign. The GT compliance team agrees that the look and feel of E-Verify has substantially improved with this update, along with the number of tools now available to employers to track alerts and close cases.”
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
E-verify, The Risk To Federal Contractors
E-Verify will soon be required of all federal contractors. Many state legislatures are also enacting state laws mandating employer use of E-Verify. Federal (and in many states, state) contractors are now required to participate in the E-Verify program to confirm employment eligibility. Although E-Verify is an extension of and improvement for the existing I-9 laws all employee, it is also directed at illegal immigrant work authorization.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
Punishing Employers: ICE has a Renewed Commitment
The strategy is a 2-pronged approach. It includes aggressive criminal and civil penalties against employers who knowingly violate immigration laws, and continues to implement programs such as E-Verify (verifies employment eligibility to work in the United States) and IMAGE.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
Changes To E-Verify Announced By USCIS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is planning important changes to the E-Verify online employment eligibility verification system, aimed at ensuring employer compliance with program rules and guarding against employment discrimination and identity theft. These new initiatives were announced at a March 17 briefing attended by Fragomen representatives and other stakeholders.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
Is E-Verify The Answer To Immigration Compliance?
E-Verify, is it the answer? It used to be that when you hired an employee, you relied on the information they provided with their I9 as proof that they had the right to work in the United States. This proof took the form of various sources of identification issued by the federal government, like a passport, a driver’s license or a social security card. In other words, if they could meet the criteria of the I9 that would be enough for the employer to have “done their part”.
Read the full article linked below.
http://www.commpayhr.com/blog/post/To-E-Verify-or-Not–That-is-the-Question.aspx
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
Steps To Protect Your Company And Preventing Being “Next”
Learn how to protect your company from workplace violations. The most beneficial step you can take to protect your company against fines and allegations of civil and criminal immigration violations is to be proactive about immigration compliance. Companies should prepare comprehensive policies and formulate consistent protocols for Form I-9 completion, reverification and retention; for responding to notifications from the Social Security Administration; and, for responding to government agents/officers who may appear at company worksites.
Link to the full article below.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
