The President’s budget allocates $15 million to “begin implementation of mandatory nationwide use of the E-Verify Program.”

E–Verify is a government web-based system that compares information from the Form I-9 to data from US government databases to confirm the applicant’s work eligibility. Currently, participation is primarily voluntary.

The President will need Congress approval to mandate E–Verify nationwide. Senator Charles Grassley has re-introduced legislation to authorize a national E–Verify program. 

The Grassley bill would make E–Verify mandatory for all employers within one year of enactment and requires employers to check the status of all employees not previously verified through E–Verify within three years of enactment.

A national E–Verify bill will face opposition, but it has a good chance of passing. We will be covering E–Verify basics and other topics of interest to employers to prepare for potential nationwide adoption of the program.