Federal, State and Local Rules

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) requires U.S. employers to verify the employment eligibility status of newly-hired employees and makes it unlawful for employers to knowingly hire or continue to employ unauthorized workers.

Non-compliance can carry severe penalties, whether or not the violation was intentional or a result of ignorance or oversight. Penalties can include:

Fines from $100 to $1,100 per incident for employers who fail to properly complete, retain or make I-9 Forms available for inspection;

Fines from $250 to $11,000 per violation for employers who knowingly hire or knowingly continue to employ unauthorized workers;

Criminal penalties up to $3,000 per unauthorized employee and incarceration of up to six months for employers who engage in a pattern or practice of knowingly hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized workers.

Employers can comply with federal law by exercising due diligence in the completion of Form I-9, `Employment Eligibility Verification.` However, a greater `presumption of innocence` is accorded employers who use the federal eligibility verification program which is offered by Verify I-9, LLC.

As of September 2009, all federal contractors are required to verify their new hires and current employees working on the contract through E-Verify. Recent immigration reform efforts in the U.S. Congress have also included provisions requiring all employers to use the verification program as offered by Verify I-9, LLC.

State and Local Laws

Several states, counties and cities have enacted their own laws regarding employment eligibility verification. For example, the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act requires all employers to verify. A growing number of states have enacted similar laws including Arizona, Utah, Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina.

Verify I-9's services are designed to keep your business in full compliance with state and local laws.