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Sep

26

E-Verify puts duty on businesses to determine immigration status


This article from the Oregon Statesman Journal describes a new tool that American businesses will be expected to use in order to detect a prospective employee’s immigration status.

On Tuesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services added a new photo-screening tool to its E-Verify program, formerly the Basic Pilot program.

The system uses the Internet to verify a newly hired worker’s employment eligibility.

“The photo tool enhancement will give employers an additional resource to help verify identity and employment authorization status,” said USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez.

The photo tool allows employers to check the validity of an applicant’s Employment Authorization Document (EAD), a permit to work in the United States, or a Permanent Resident Card, known as a green card, with images stored in the USCIS’ databases.

You can learn more about E-Verify here and Washington Technology’s spread is also helpful.

What I note:

E-Verify, run by the U.S. government – the Deparment of Homeland Security, says that it is free and voluntary.  Yet, it exists.  So, what, if any, business-wide standard will come to exist?

I’m not aware of the extent to which E-Verify currently is used, so I can’t say if use of it is considered an expectation of every company.

But logic would tell me this:

Americans want to reduce illegal immigration.  Business have used illegal immigrants to keep down costs.  Businesses have said that it’s difficult to figure out if someone is illegal or not.  The government has implemented a free and electronic way for businesses to learn about a prospective hire’s immigration status.

How can we not expect that businesses should do this?

That expectation doesn’t mean that no other measures are necessary but only that businesses can no longer get off the hook for lame excuses about not knowing or not being able to verify.

I’ve written about my expectations for businesses in regard to immigration here.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:57 pm September 26th, 2007 in Business, Government, Immigration 

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