The new site is a more user-friendly resource to verify employment eligibility
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched a new, user-friendly E-Verify.gov website today. According to USCIS, the new site is the authoritative source for information on electronic employment eligibility verification and can be used by employers, employees and the general public.
The website provides information about E-Verify as well as Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, including employee rights and employer responsibilities in the employment verification process. E-Verify.gov allows employers to enroll in E-Verify directly and permits current users to access their accounts. Individuals with my E-Verify accounts can also access their accounts through E-Verify.gov.
According to USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna, “E-Verify has been the cornerstone of our continued commitment to helping employers maintain a legal workforce. E-Verify.gov now allows users to better understand and navigate through the employment verification process.”
E-Verify is a free internet-based system. Employers can access E-Verify anytime, anywhere they have access to a web browser. Nearly all employees are confirmed as work-authorized instantly or within 24 hours. In order to verify authorization to work in the U.S., the system, with nearly 800,000 enrolled employers, compares information from an employee’s Form I-9 to records available to the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.
While the new site is user-friendly, there are several items to consider before enrolling in E-Verify. USCIS provides a 22 point enrollment checklist to help users prepare for enrollment. Items to consider include determining who will sign the E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which sets forth the terms and conditions employers have to follow while participating in E-Verify, as well as who will be the program administrator and who will have access to the system.
In order to make it easy to use the new site, USCIS provides several ways to get up to speed. Webinars for both employers and employees are provided throughout the month on topics including:
- E-Verify Overview
- Form I-9
- E-Verify for Existing Users
- Federal Contractor E-Verify
- Employee Rights
- myE-verify
Webinars are free but pre-registration is required.
Yes, the new website makes it easier to enroll in and access E-Verify, but there are still many steps to follow to ensure proper enrollment and ongoing use of the tool. If you decide to enroll yourself, be sure to review all of the steps beforehand and have your information ready, as enrollment must be completed in a single session. Work cannot be saved and completed later.
If you would like assistance checking employment eligibility, rather than handling the entire process yourself, Corporate Payroll Services is an E-Verify Employer Agent, authorized by the USCIS to verify the workforce in all 50 states. For more information on E-Verify Services, click here.
