Now is the ideal time to ensure that employers and employees understand the E-Verify and the federal employment eligibility verification processes. E-Verify is a fast, free, and easy to use internet-based service run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration that allows employers to verify the eligibility of their newly hired employees to legally work in the United States. All US employers are already required to complete and retain a Form I-9 — the “Employment Eligibility Verification” form — for each person they hire in the United States. That includes citizens and non-citizens. E-Verify takes the Form I-9 process one step further. It compares information provided on a Form I-9 against information in government records. In most cases, in just seconds, E-Verify tells the employer if an employee is eligible to work in the US. E-Verify isn’t a database, but simply a secure way for employers to check new employee’s employment eligibility information against existing records in the Social Security Administration, DHS and the State Department — depending upon which form of identification the employee presents, and the employee’s citizenship or immigration status. 

To use E-Verify, an employer must first enroll online at www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Employers complete a basic registration application, then must take a tutorial, and pass a test before being granted access to use the system. Once enrolled, there are also rules that must be followed. For example, E-Verify cannot be used by employers in a discriminatory way, such as only checking some employees but not others. Employers may not use E-Verify to prescreen job applicants. Also, employers may not take any adverse action against an employee, including firing or delaying the employee’s start date, who is in the process of resolving an initial mismatch of information.  DHS conducts free, live webinars about E-Verify that you can attend without ever leaving the office. The 90-minute webinars include a demonstration of E-Verify and an opportunity to ask questions. By the end of the webinar, employers have a good understanding of E-Verify. DHS also offers Form I-9 webinars, and webinars for E-Verify existing users. To register, go to www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.E-Verify is currently used by more than 230,000 employers at more than 790,000 worksites. E-Verify is growing rapidly, with more than 1,000 new businesses enrolling each week. For most employers, using E-Verify is voluntary and limited to verifying new employees only. Since September 2009, E-Verify is mandatory for many federal contractors. The E-Verify web interface that employers use recently underwent a major redesign making the system even easier to use. For more information, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify