The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) E-Verify system is a way for employers to check the employment authorization of workers and potential employees. The system was created in response to concerns about undocumented workers in the US. In many cases, employers claimed that it was difficult for them to determine who was authorized to work in the US and who was not, making hiring decisions very difficult. Employees were also concerned about the employment authorization system, since in some cases they genuinely believed that they were authorized to work in the US when in fact they were not. The E-verify system ensures that employers and employees can check employment authorization before an employee is hired. The simple system allows employers to use electronic databases to safely and accurately check employment authorization status of workers.
The USCIS has been expanding and adapting its e-verify system to make it easier to use and more extensive. Recently, the USCIS has announced that one component of E-Verify has been made available in all 50 states for the first time. That component, Self Check, allows employees to verify and check their employment authorization. Self Check was originally available in select states but the USCIS hoped to expand the service nationally. The organization has now reached that goal, with the service available across 50 US states as well as the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Island, Washington DC, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
Self Check was launched in March of last year and so far about 67,000 people have used the service, according to the USCIS. The USCIS hopes that with the new expansion even more employees will be able to use Self Check to confirm their employment authorization status. Self Check is available in Spanish and English and allows employees to access the same information that employers see when they check e-verify. This ensures that workers can check to confirm that employers can see their correct employment status. If there is any problem, employees can check through Self Check and can correct the problem before they are denied a job due to a discrepancy.
Self Check was designed through the cooperation of the USCIS, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The system lets employees check their status, so that if there are any problems they can fix their SSA records and DHS records before applying for employment. The system even offers employees tips on adjusting their status or fixing any problems with their work authorization.
