Undocumented workers and unauthorized workers in the United States are a major problem. These workers may not have all the protections afforded to US workers. As well, these workers often complicate the tax system and may not pay all required taxes. For employers, hiring unauthorized workers can lead to legal problems as well. It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that only workers authorized to work in the United States are hired. However, sometimes determining which workers are authorized to work in the United States can be difficult. Some workers may claim to have work authorization when they do not. Other workers may honestly believe that they do have authorization, even though the authorization has actually expired. Employers have long asked for a simple system that can help them determine which workers are authorized to work in the United States. The E-Verify program is a powerful tool that can help employers do just that.
The USCIS E-Verify program is a program that helps ensure that employees are legally authorized to work in the United States. The E-Verify program works by confirming every employee’s Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification) through an electronic verification system. This can take some of the pressure off of employers who need to verify that an employee is authorized to work in the United States. Using E-Verify has other advantages, as well. For example, if an employer is accused of allowing unauthorized or undocumented workers at his or her workplace, participation in the E-Verify program can help employers show that they have taken all necessary steps to confirm that all workers are qualified to work in the United States.
To begin using E-Verify, employers need to enroll their organization with the E-Verify program. Any government agency, business, or nonprofit group can join. All that employers need to do is to go to the USCIS website to start the enrollment process. The enrollment process involves agreeing to follow the E-Verify program rules, and involves sharing some basic information about the company with the USCIS. Once a company is enrolled, the employer can register themselves as well as other employees to use the E-Verify system.
Before enrolling in the E-Verify program, it is important to keep in mind that some companies may already be enrolled through a previous manager or owner. Therefore, it is important to get in touch with E-Verify customer support to verify that your program or organization has not already been enrolled with E-Verify. Trying to enroll more than once can lead to delays and complications.
