Global Immigration Blog : Immigration Lawyers & Attorneys : Jackson Lewis Law Firm : Labor Certification, Adjustment of Status

E-Verify: the Good, the Bad, and the Unresolved

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently released an independent report of the E-Verify system, highlighting the successes, failures, and remaining challenges that face employers face today.

The Good

USCIS reduced the Tentative Nonconfirmations (TNCs or mismatches) from 8% between June 2004 and March 2007 to almost 2.6% in fiscal year 2009. TNCs result when the information from an employee’s Form I-9 does not match government records and E-Verify indicates the case may require additional action.

Additionally, USCIS data indicates that about 97.4% of almost 8.2 million newly hired employees were immediately confirmed as work authorized by E-Verify during fiscal year 2009, compared to 92% during June 2004 through March 2007.

Conversely, about 2.6% of newly hired employees, or over 211,000, received either a Social Security Administration or USCIS TNC, including about 0.3% who were determined to be work eligible after they contested a TNC, and about 2.3% who received a Final Nonconfirmation (FNC) because their employment eligibility status remained unresolved.

The Bad

Despite the reduction of TNCs overall, it appears that erroneous information is still a way of life. Employee information, like the E-Verify system itself, is constantly being updated and changed. Also, it is not uncommon to have misspellings or other name variations for first or last names. In these instances, TNCs may result because the employer is uncertain how exactly to enter the name into the system. According to USCIS, of the TNCs resulting from name mismatches in fiscal year 2009, approximately 76% were for citizens and 24% were for noncitizens. USCIS has included information on its website to help employers enter various name combinations to reduce some of these TNCs.

The Unresolved

Over the past two years, USCIS has more than doubled the number of monitoring and compliance staff overseeing employers’ use of E-Verify. Apparently, however, the staff still lacks the appropriate technology to discern instances of suspected employer misuse easily. According to senior E-Verify program officials, such capabilities will be addressed by fiscal year 2012, through an estimated $6 million advanced data system. USCIS expects this system, known as the Data Analysis System, to automate about 80% of the Monitoring and Compliance Branch’s workload.

It looks like E-Verify will be with us for the foreseeable future. The fiscal year 2010 DHS Appropriations Act reauthorized the E-Verify program through September 30, 2012, and provided USCIS with $137 million for program operations. Employers must prepare themselves by implementing appropriate policies, procedures, and technology to address the potential pitfalls of an erroneous TNC or FNC, as well as other challenges, such as identity theft and discrimination.
 

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USCIS has released its new E-Verify User Manuals for Employers, Employer E-Verify Agents, and Federal Contractors. E-Verify is the online verification system that complements I-9 employment eligibility review and allows employers to check the legality of their workforce. The manuals provide guidance for employers enrolled in E-Verify. The new manuals reflect recent changes to the E-Verify website and offer additional guidance and clarification. Employers or their agents who use E-Verify, federal contractors who have the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify clause in their contracts, and employers considering using E-Verify should become familiar with the new manuals.

Copies of the new manuals can be found at USCIS.gov.

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Less than two years after the enactment of the Legal Arizona Workers Act (“LAWA”), Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed into law the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (Senate Bill 1070). The Act requires law enforcement officials to attempt to determine the immigration status of any person that they believe to be an alien unlawfully present in the United States. The Governor’s decision has thrust Arizona into the spotlight of immigration reform debate.

The controversial statute has attracted both national and international attention since the April 23 signing and has led to daily protests at the Arizona State Capitol in downtown Phoenix, as well as throughout the country. Several public figures have spoken out in opposition to the statute and there have been widespread calls to boycott Arizona businesses. Despite this, Arizona polls show widespread support for the bill among Arizona residents.

While opposition to the bill has focused largely on the new requirement imposed on law enforcement officials, Senate Bill 1070 has two provisions that will impact Arizona employers. The statute includes a provision prohibiting the hiring of day laborers. This same provision makes it a crime for unlawful aliens to “apply for work, solicit work in a public place or perform work as an employee or independent contractor in this state.” Senate Bill 1070 also adds a recordkeeping provision to LAWA that requires employers to maintain E-Verify verifications for each employee hired after January 1, 2008 for the duration of the employment or at least three years, whichever is longer. In addition, it adds a defense of entrapment for employers facing a claim that they either intentionally or knowingly hired an unauthorized alien.

Jackson Lewis will be closely monitoring developments relating to Senate Bill 1070 and the impact it will have on employers in Arizona and will be providing regular updates.
 

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Are you subject to the Federal Acquisition Rule’s (FAR) E-Verify requirements?Many companies mistakenly think they are subject to FAR and therefore required to use the E-Verify System.

FAR sets out certain prerequisites for determining whether a government contract makes an employer subject to mandatory E-Verify Registration. For example, the contract period must be for at least 120 days and the contract value must be for at least $100,000. More importantly, however, the contract also must contain the FAR provision. Many employers seem to miss this point. They worry needlessly whether they should be using E-Verify when the clause is not in the contract. Existing contracts can be modified to include the clause, but until your contract is modified, or you receive a new contract with the FAR clause, you should not be subject to the E-verify requirement.

The contracting government official, not DHS or SSA (unless they also are the contracting agency), determines if you are subject to the requirement. In negotiating your contract, you can argue why you should not be subject in order to keep the clause out of the contract. For example, if you believe your product meets the commercially available off-the-shelf (“COTS”) exemption, try to persuade the contracting official to omit the clause from your contract in the first place.

While E-Verify is always an option for new hires, remember it can only be used for the entire workforce or employees assigned to the contract if you have a FAR clause. Using it in this context without the clause also is a violation.  Many issues surrounding the FAR E-verify clause remain unsettled as this is still a relatively new regulation. The government has been addressing questions as they arise and may issue a new Memorandum of Understanding in the future. Watch this blog for the latest developments on E-verify compliance and strategy.
 

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