E-Verify

E-Verify is an internet-based system run by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, the paperwork all new hires fill out, with government records to confirm that the person is authorized to work in the United States. Results typically come back within seconds, though some require follow-up with a "tentative nonconfirmation" that the worker may contest.

The program began as a pilot in 1996 and is voluntary at the federal level for most employers, though federal contractors must use it, and about half of the states have laws that require it for some or all employers. Participation has grown, with several million queries made each month. Congress has repeatedly considered making it mandatory nationwide, and some proposals tie it to broader immigration reforms.

Supporters, especially advocates of tighter immigration enforcement, say that mandatory E-Verify would reduce the jobs magnet for illegal immigration and protect workers from unscrupulous employers; they note high accuracy rates. Opponents, including some business groups, civil-liberties and agricultural interests, argue that it burdens employers, relies on databases with errors that can wrongly flag legal workers, can be circumvented through identity theft or off-the-books employment and may be costly for small businesses. See also visa overstay. See also H-1B visa.