E-Verify is an electronic employment verification system that can be used by employers and employees to ensure correct employment authorization. For example, employers can use E-Verify to ensure that they hire only those who are qualified to work in the US, while employees can use the E-Verify Self Check feature to ensure that there are no inaccuracies on their records that can affect their ability to work in the US. The E-Verify system is available through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website and allows employers to verify work authorization of a potential employee within minutes. According to advocates of the program, the E-Verify system helps to stop undocumented workers by making it harder for unauthorized workers to get work in the US and by making it harder for employees to claim that they did not know a worker was undocumented. Currently, over one million worksites use the E-Verify system and 15 states have made participation in the E-Verify system mandatory for all businesses. The Obama administration supports the E-Verify system as a voluntary system. Some legislators have suggested passing a law which would make the E-Verify system mandatory for all employers across the US, although it could take some time for such a law to pass.
The USCIS and the DHS are always working to make the E-Verify system more effective. Recently, the system was updated, for example, to include a feature that verifies driver’s licenses. According to statistics, more than 80% of new employees use driver’s licenses to establish identity during the hiring process, so allowing this form of verification with the E-Verify system can make the E-Verify system even more effective. Mississippi is the first state to make this feature available.
The E-Verify system already has a high accuracy rate, and the new features will make it even more accurate, according to the USCIS and DHS. In addition to the driver’s license verification feature, the E-Verify system has also made additional changes with the recent upgrade. For example, the E-Verify system now has more help functions to help users navigate the website and system. As well, the E-Verify system now features a streamlined enrollment system, making it easier and faster for employers to join the program. The new enhancements can be seen at the DHS website and the E-Verify system website. In the future, the DHS and USCIS will likely add even more features and upgrades as the two agencies work to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of the E-Verify system.
