I-9 and E-Verify Compliance

Since 1986, U.S. employers have been required to verify the employment eligibility of all new hires using Form I-9.  In implementing the Form I-9 system, the U.S. government placed the burden of employment eligibility verification largely on employers.  Compliance is ensured through the use of both random and targeted audits.  Failure by an employer to properly use Form I-9 can lead to considerable fines and penalties from U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

While employers must exercise caution in meeting all Form I-9 requirements, they must also take care not to engage in discriminatory practices during the employment eligibility verification process.  Even seemingly innocuous actions by an employer taken in an effort to comply with the law can lead to investigation and suit by the Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

E-Verify is an internet-based computer system that allows employers to check incoming employees for employment authorization in the U.S.  Using E-Verify provides employers with an added measure of security in their hiring practices, helping to ensure a fully legal work force.   However, improper use of E-Verify, even if the employer means well, can lead to fines and penalties.

VERDIN offers a range of I-9 and E-Verify services to help clients ensure their policies and practices are fully compliant with the law.

I-9 and E-Verify Services include:

• Form I-9 completion as authorized representative
• Independent Form I-9 compliance audits
• Form I-9 and E-Verify training for HR staff
• Equal employment/non-discrimination training relating to foreign nationals
• Direct visa application assistance for firms seeking to hire foreign nationals

Registered E-Verify Employer Agent

Additionally, VERDIN is a registered E-Verify employer agent, meaning that the firm is authorized to use E-Verify on behalf of its clients to check their potential employees for employment eligibility in the U.S.  VERDIN’s expertise with E-Verify allows clients’ HR departments to cut down on time spent trying to decipher and correctly apply the system’s results.

These clients can rest assured that the system is being used in a lawful manner and that its search results are being interpreted correctly.  E-Verify agent services are a value-added service that can be selected individually or along with any of the firm’s related services.