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Immigration Law

: Greg Siskind's Blog

CIS OMBUDSMAN GIVES MIXED REVIEW OF ARIZONA E-VERIFY EXPERIENCE

By Greg Siskind

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Last year at this time, we were telling Arizona employers to get their acts together and get ready to start using E-Verify. Beginning January 1, 2008, all employers in that state have been required to use the electronic employment verification system.

Now that a year has passed, it is easier to assess whether the system is working properly for Arizona employers. The USCIS Ombudsman has just issued a report containing his observations. The report finds that employers views of E-Verify largely reflect the size and sophistication of the employer. Mid-size and large employers seem satisfied with the speed and accuracy of the system. But smaller employers representing more than half of the work force complain that the system is not user-friendly. The Ombudsman is recommending that USCIS focus greater outreach efforts on small businesses. Actually, the Ombudsman has five specific recommendations:

1. Simplify the language used in all E-Verify instructions and supporting documentation.
2. Make all registration and operational documents publicly available on-line for review by prospective E-Verify end-users and employees.
3. Ensure its education and outreach efforts reach small business communities.
4. Develop and add a tickler/calendar system into E-Verify capable of issuing timely system prompts to employers to advise them of their next appropriate course of action for each specific open and unresolved TNC.
5. Announce as a stated goal an intention to replace the current Form I-9 process for employers that voluntarily use E-Verify.

More information on each of these recommendations can be found in the report.

The report also had an interesting data note. In the next few weeks, E-Verify is likely to have its 100,000th employer sign up to use the system. That number should jump dramatically when 168,000 federal contractors start using the system beginning next month.

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on December 30, 2008 (boomark / email).