Article by INSZoom

The US Supreme Court has just upheld the Arizona law requiring that employers use the federal government’s E-Verify program to check and verify the legal status of all newly hired employees. In a 5 to 3 decision, the Supreme Court verified that state implementation of mandating the use of E-Verify is indeed constitutional. Over a dozen states currently have different E-Verify laws in place; the Arizona decision provides a path to understanding the capacity states have for utilizing E-Verify as a mandated measure of employee identity verification.

E-Verify was created in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. The web-based system enables employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired workers. The online system is free; however, it is complex and management and effective utilization of this compliance tool can be arduous without a systematic method, offered by technology solutions such as INSZoom’s I-9Zoom offering.

More than 250,000 US employers currently voluntarily use E-Verify; over 1,000 new companies register to use the program each week. The program is currently voluntary (on a federal level); however, federal contractors and certain employers in the agricultural industry are required by federal law to use the online system. This requirement became law in 2009, when a federal provision requiring all employees working for the federal government to be screened by E-Verify.

The E-Verify program continues to expand. In 2010, USCIS introduced a new photo matching tool that allows employers to view a photo of the newly hired employee (from a green card, employment authorization document or passport) to visually determine if the employee is in fact the person he or she proposes to be. The I-9 software enables companies to electronically submit supporting documentation for I-9s; each of which can be verified by qualified representatives.

INSZoom introduced its E-Verify management tool, I-9Zoom in YEAR. INSZoom is a federally authorized E-Verify agent and its software enables employers to manage all aspects of I-9 form management, from the time of a new hire to the end of that person’s employment and beyond. The federal government continues to crack down on cases of fraudulent hiring, as seen in the recent legal measures against the Chipotle restaurant chain, and states such as Arizona continue to implement state-based E-Verify requirements. Now is an essential time for employers to seek a powerful and robust tool, like I-9Zoom, to enable them to more effectively and efficiently manage employee eligibility verification.

About the Author

INSZoom is the immigration software company – the leader in the global mobility and immigration software industries. We provide comprehensive, open commerce platforms that electronically enable our clients to share valuable information online, process immigration petitions faster, stay compliant and effectively manage their global mobility workforce.

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