Try E-Verify, Avoid the Fine for Hiring Illegal Aliens

By Jennifer G. Parser, Ward and Smith, P.A.

Posted: Today at 6:05 a.m.

Editor’s Note: Jennifer Parser is a member of the Labor and Employment Section and Immigration Practice Group of Ward and Smith, P.A.

With today’s complex immigration laws, all employers must be careful to avoid hiring illegal aliens. Employers no longer can rely on an alien’s presentation of an apparently authentic work authorization document. Employers now must make good faith efforts to verify the document and the alien’s social security number.

On January 1, 2008, the federal government’s new E Verify system became operational. This system is an internet-based application, operated jointly by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) and the Social Security Administration (“SSA”), and intended to provide employers with an easy way to verify both employment eligibility of newly hired employees and the legality of each employee’s social security number.

What Does E-Verify Actually Do?

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