DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas recently joined forces and introduced three new initiatives to improve efficiency and accuracy of E-Verify.
These initiatives are (taken from the USCIS press release):
- “Streamline the adjudication process in cases of E-Verify misuse and discrimination,”
- “An informational telephone hotline for employees to provide a more timely, effective and seamless customer experience for workers seeking E-Verify information,”
- “New training videos focusing on E-Verify procedures and policies, employee rights and employer responsibilities in English and Spanish.”
E-Verify is a free, web-based tool to verify employment eligibility of an employers workforce and new employees. As with any system, there are some pitfalls to be aware of before using. It is important to review the MOU prior to enrolling and understand its requirement. The MOU gives DHS the right of access to business records and to audit the employer to ensure that program requirements are being met. It is also important to watch for errors in the E-Verify database to help prevent lawful employees from being terminated.
Some federal and state government-based contracts now contain an E-Verify clause requiring employers to use E-Verify to check the status of their workforce before being awarded the government contract.