What Is E-Verify?

In the landscape of hiring and employment, ensuring that workers are legally authorized to work in the United States is a paramount concern for employers. To address this, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) jointly administer E-Verify, a program designed to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired workers. In 2024, an updated version of this program, known as E-Verify+, is set to launch. This update aims to alleviate the administrative burden on both employers and employees while enhancing overall efficiency. Here’s a comprehensive look at what employers need to know about E-Verify+.

E-Verify: A Recap E-Verify serves as a tool for employers to confirm the eligibility of newly hired employees to work in the United States. The process typically begins within the first three days after hire, with employers initiating the verification process. It involves completing Form I-9, which contains information later entered into the E-Verify system. This process remains consistent even for remote workers.

E-Verify usage requirements vary across US states and local jurisdictions, falling into four main categories: mandatory usage for all employers, mandatory usage for public employers only, voluntary participation for all employers, and adherence to local jurisdiction standards.

In addition to its primary goal of verifying employment status, E-Verify also imposes rules to ensure fair treatment for workers and prevent discrimination. These rules prohibit several behaviors, including knowingly hiring unauthorized workers, accepting false documents, and discriminating based on national origin or citizenship status.

E-Verify+ is scheduled to be rolled out gradually throughout 2024, with no official launch date specified yet. However, employers should stay updated via the E-Verify website for announcements.

The following three key changes characterize E-Verify+, all intended to shift administrative responsibilities from employers to employees or new hires and enhance overall efficiency:

• Employers are currently responsible for uploading Form I-9 data into the system. However, E-Verify+ alters this process. Instead of employers managing the data entry, employees will be empowered to input their own personal information and documents into the system. This not only better safeguards the privacy of new hires but also reduces clerical errors by employers and diminishes their oversight.
• Currently, employers handle all communication regarding a new hire’s E-Verify case and are tasked with notifying workers. With E-Verify+, this responsibility shifts, and workers will receive direct notifications about their employment status. This facilitates prompt awareness of any further action required to determine their eligibility for employment. Additionally, this approach eliminates the need for employers to deliver Further Action Notices, streamlining the process.
• Another notable feature of E-Verify+ is its ability to streamline the administration of employee verification. Workers will have the capability to transfer their verification status to new employers seamlessly. They can update and share their status directly from E-Verify+. Likewise, organizations will no longer need to manage multiple, separate E-Verify cases, as E-Verify+ allows for centralized management of all cases.

With changes on the horizon for E-Verify in 2024, it’s essential for employers to prepare for the transition. E-Verify+ promises to simplify and streamline the verification process while providing additional protections for workers. The program update introduces significant changes, including employee-driven data entry, direct notifications for workers, and seamless transfer of verification status to new employers. These enhancements aim to make the process of verifying eligibility to work in the United States more efficient and user-friendly for both employers and employees alike.

PayBridge: E-Verify integration with I-9

PayBridge allows you to streamline the eligibility verification process with E-Verify and the paperwork completion of Form I-9 from within PayBridge Onboarding software.

PayBridge Onboarding integrates seamlessly with the E-Verify process allowing you to work faster and more efficiently, eliminating the need to manually input information into the E-verify website. PayBridge customers have real-time access to the E-Verify database managed by the US Department of Homeland Security. There is no longer a need to wait for verification of employment eligibility- get your results back in 30 seconds!