Immigration Law Insights

Employers who use E-Verify to confirm their employees are eligible to work in the United States will be required to reset their E-Verify password, security questions, and answers when they log in to the system on or after December 16, 2018. The E-Verify system will be making changes to its user interface to give more self-service options such as automatic password resets. E-Verify is required for employers with certain federal contracts and is mandatory for many employers in certain states, including South Carolina and Georgia. More than 40 million E-Verify queries were run during FY2018, with Georgia leading the nation with more than 3.5 million cases. To enroll in E-Verify, employers electronically sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) after creating an account on the E-Verify website. Employers are reminded that in no way should E-Verify be used to pre-screen applicants, and employees who were hired before the employer signed the MOU should not be run through E-Verify except in certain limited circumstances. To ensure compliance with E-Verify rules and regulations, employers should speak to someone experienced in immigration law to avoid potential non-compliance issues or misuse of the program.