E-Verify
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E-Verify is a voluntary program run by the United States government to help certify that employees hired by companies are not in the country illegally. Formerly known as the Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program, the program is operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration.
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[edit] History
The program was originally established in 1997 as the Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program along with two other programs created prevent illegal aliens from getting jobs.[1] The others were discontinued, and E-Verify has grown to a total of 2.9 million requests in 2007.[2]
[edit] Operations
The program is free. As of August 31, 2007, the program has begun to include biometric data to help enhance searches. The 14 million images kept by federal immigration authorities are being used in the program, and the government is in talks with some states to cross reference with state drivers license records.[1][3][4]
As of September 2007, most of the United States federal government did not use the system when hiring employees, but a new directive mandates that they use the system starting October 1st, 2007. Rules are also being drafted that will require federal contractors to use the system.[2] More than 22,000 companies have registered. Guidelines are being drafted to deal with companies that repeatedly hire illegal immigrants.[2] About 5 percent of queries are identified as "not authorized to work".[2] Every month, over 2,000 companies join the program.[4]
[edit] Marketing and advertising
Currently, DHS is funding a year long marketing campaign for E-Verify in both traditional and online media. The online campaign is being managed by Sapient. This online campaign consists of display and paid search.
The state of Arizona requires employers to participate in E-Verify: the Legal Arizona Workers Act has survived a number of constitutional challenges and is currently in effect. The Governor of Illinois, Rod R. Blagojevich has signed a law that forbids companies in Illinois from using the service. The Department of Homeland Security is suing them in federal court to overturn this law. In 2007, DHS proposed a "no-match" regulation specifiying "safe harbor" procedures for an employer to follow in response to notification that an employee's Social Security number is invalid. A federal district court in California blocked the proposed regulation from taking effect. As of early March 2008, the DHS is revising the regulation.[3][2] The state of Georgia is also considering making compliance mandatory.[4]
The program has also been called inaccurate, though the error rate, currently around 8 percent, is decreasing, as many of the errors came from changing last names after marriage, or not informing the government they were now citizens.[3] An activist group called NumbersUSA is creating a service to track which companies join and which do not to build pressure on non-participating companies to join.[2]
President George W. Bush proposed in his 2009 Federal Budget $100 million for E-Verify, specifically for "expansion and enhancement" of the system.[5]
[edit] E-verify required for OPT extension for F-1 foreign students
In April 2008, U.S. Government has extended the duration of post-completion work authorization (the "Optional Practical Training" (OPT)) from 12 months to 29 months for certain qualifying foreign students with completed U.S. degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Many of these students would otherwise have to leave U.S., or participate in a lottery to win an H1B work visa. The H1B cap is set at a low value. For fiscal year 2009 even those with PhDs from U.S. universities, regardless of degree type and quality, will be subjected to the H1B lottery. OPT extension is often the only practical way to avoid the lottery in such cases, and therefore important for keeping foreign talent in the United States. In order to obtain the extension, U.S. Government requires the student's employer to be enrolled in E-verify. This requirement might prompt many employers to join E-verify, such as big U.S. technology companies who employ many highly-skilled foreign U.S.-educated workers.
[edit] References
- ^ a b U.S. Department of Homeland Security Fact Sheet. Department of Homeland Security (2007-08-09). Retrieved on 2 November 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f Dinan, Stephen (2007-09-25). U.S. pushes E-verify for hires. Washington Times. Retrieved on 2 November 2007.
- ^ a b c Franklin, Stephen (2007-09-25). Government cracks down on ID fraud by illegal immigrants. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 2 November 2007.
- ^ a b c Casey, Winter (2007-08-10). Administration announces border, immigration initiatives. National Journal's Technology Daily. Retrieved on 2 November 2007.
- ^ Department of Homeland Security 2009 Budget Proposal. The White House (2008-02-04). Retrieved on 5 February 2008.
[edit] External links
- E-Verify Website
- EPIC Spotlight on Surveillance article Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) article describing defects, problems, and dangers of the E-Verify system and its use.
