United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration administers the E-Verify program. E-Verify electronically compares information entered by an enrolled employer with information from two government agencies: the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). The only purpose of E-Verify is employment verification. Employers utilizing E-Verify are still subject to inspection by government agencies including the Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Form I-9s must be completed prior to employers creating a case in E-Verify.
USCIS and SSA have announced an E-Verify enhancement, E-Verify+, which will become widely available shortly. E-Verify+ is another web service which combines Form I-9 and E-Verify into one online process. E-Verify+ allows participation by both employers and employees. An employer must be enrolled in E-Verify to utilize E-Verify+ services.
Currently, E-Verify+ is only available to Employer Access companies who sign in through the E-Verify web browser, with anticipation of a complete roll out in the coming months. After enrolling in E-Verify, an employer (through a Program Administrator account) will enable E-Verify+ through their home screen page by selecting the "Enable E-Verify+" option. This will prompt employers to read the Terms of Service followed by a short training video. Once the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is signed, the E-Verify+ enhancement will be live for the employer to use.
Unlike E-Verify, which requires employers to use the program for all new hires, employers are not obligated to use E-Verify+ for all cases, but they may select to either create a standard E-Verify or E-Verify+ case for each new hire as long as they do so in a non-discriminatory manner. Additionally, an employee may decline to use the E-Verify+ case and opt for a standard E-Verify case, and the employer must respect the employee's wishes.
To use E-Verify+, an employer should carefully select the E-Verify+ option when creating a new case. They will then enter an employee's details to trigger an email to be sent with a unique link to the employee. As employers hire more hybrid and remote employees, E-Verify+ allows the process to be conducted online from any smart device. The employee will then complete their online profile, enter their own information, and then attest to their citizenship or immigration status while uploading the required documents. A live video should be used to verify that the documents being submitted appear to be genuine and belong to the employee if the employee is not available to travel to provide documents for in-person inspection. E-Verify+ is not only for remote employees; employers may create an E-Verify+ case for employees working on site as well. Once the employee signs and submits their portion, the employer will be prompted to complete their section. After the E-Verify+ case is submitted the data will follow the standard E-Verify program. Like E-Verify cases, a response should be received in a few seconds. If the result is "Employment Authorized" then an electronic Form I-9 will be created for the Employer to download.
Unlike E-Verify cases, E-Verify+ gives more autonomy and control to employees. Via E-Verify+, employees get the flexibility of carrying over their employment verification status to future employers. Employees will receive automatic notifications sent via the E-Verify+ system throughout the eligibility verification process. Additionally, employees directly upload their own documents in a secure network. Also, if a mismatch is triggered in the system, the E-Verify+ system, and not the employer via a Further Action Notice, directly notifies the employee and gives detailed instructions on how the employee can correct the mismatch. An employer will see a message showing waiting for results while the employee resolves their mismatch. Once the mismatch is resolved, either as "Employment Authorized" or "Final NonConfirmation" the system will automatically notify both the employee and the employer.
Employers must retain the downloaded copy of Form I-9 created in E-Verify+ as their obligations for records retention do not change. Employers must either print and save in paper files or push the electronic Form I-9 to its electronic storage capability that meets the Immigration Records and Identity Services (IRIS) requirements. Employers are still obligated to continue their same I-9 data storage.
The new E-Verify+ system appears to be a good update; it offers more efficiency and ease for employers who are unclear of which third-party vendors to use for completing Form I-9s and employment verification. This system enhancement is meeting the work times of a more hybrid and remote work force.
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