E-Verify System Becomes a Formal Employment Requirement in 4 US States from January 2013

From January of next year, the internet-based E-Verify system which is used to check a potential employee’s eligibility to work in the USA will become a formal requirement in Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

E-Verify is a free program which has been implemented by the US government, used to collate information about a foreign employee’s Employment Eligibility Verification form and compare this with information from United States government records. If the data is consistent, an individual is eligible to work legally in the USA. If there is an inconsistency, the employer is notified, and an employee will be allocated a time frame of eight days within which they may resolve the issue, by contacting the appropriate agency.

The program, which is operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is an initiative which has been adopted by many larger employers across the United States by law. Smaller, private employment institutions however have not yet been made subject to E-Verify as a formal requirement.

In Georgia, smaller companies or organisations with 11 to 99 employees must E-Verify all successful job applicants before July 1st 2013, whilst companies with less than 10 employees are exempt from this law. This is the final step for employers enrolling and utilising E-Verify as an element of Georgia’s Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011.

North Carolina are being subjected to the law from January 1st 2013, meaning that private businesses employing over 100 and fewer than 500 people must implement E-Verify.

Governor Corbett signed a Senate Bill to approve all public works state contractors to use E-Verify in Pennsylvania earlier this year. This becomes effective from January 1st 2013 for contractors and subcontractors with state public works contracts of $25,000 or over.

Finally, Tennessee’s Public Chapter law which authorised employers to use E-Verify from January 1st 2012 begins its finishing application phase from January 1st, 2013. This means that all private employers with 6 to 199 employees must enrol and use E-Verify to validate its new hires before this date.

E-Verify is seen by many as a useful tool for monitoring US immigration, due to the fact that employers have a vital part to play in curbing unauthorized employment. E-Verify is considered an important resource for employers in ensuring a legal U.S. workforce.