After an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a Missouri poultry processing plant paid $450,000 in fines as part of a settlement agreement for…
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) recently announced that the 8/7/2009 revision of Form I-9, which is currently located on the USCIS website will remain valid until 8/31/2012. U.S. employers should no longer be using outdated versions of Form I-9. However, the Service has indicated that employers may…
The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices has recently comprised a list of various DO’S and DON’TS for Employers when utilizing the E-Verify program. DO…use E-Verify on all NEW employees, after they have completed Form I-9 DO…post required notices of the Employer’s participation in E-Verify DO…secure the…
As of April 3, 2009, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) indicated that U.S. employers should no longer be using outdated versions of Form I-9. The updated Form I-9 has been available in English and Spanish via the USCIS website since it was revised in February. Instructions for…
E-Verify is a federal program in which employers may voluntarily sign up electronically to be able to identify the employment eligibility of new hires against federal databases in a matter of minutes. How it works: An employer requests that a new hire complete Form I-9, and with the information provided…
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) recently released the updated version of the Form I-9 Employer Handbook. The handbook provides the basic steps involved with a new hire, including the forms that must be completed, what documents are acceptable and step-by-step directions on how to correctly complete Form…
In an effort to reduce the amount of Tentative Non-confirmations (TNCs) being issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), the Service has teamed up with the Department of State (DOS) and has incorporated DOS passport data into the E-Verify employment authorization program. Before this joint effort, foreign…
Effective February 20, 2009, ALL federal contractors and subcontractors will be required to begin using the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) E-Verify system. This program allows for employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their employees. This new rule which is addressed in Executive Order 12989 reinforces the…
In my previous blog entry, I informed you of the E-Verify program instituted by the Federal Government. The Federal Government is requiring all of its contractors to utilize this system for employment verification of their employees. Even though this is a positive first step in ensuring that employers comply with…
According to U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), an additional seventeen (17) month Optional Practical Training (“OPT”) extension is available for current OPT F-1 students who have completed a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics degree and accepted employment with an employer enrolled in the E-verify program. Additionally, this extension will…