Category: Immigration

Ice Inspection Hits Close to Home – Guilty of I-9 Form Violations

Recently posted by Jennifer G. Parser of Poyner Spruill LLP at the National Law Review – details about a recent employer immigration fine – where the employer had a legal workforce…..

Fast Food Franchisee In Fayetteville, NC Fined Over $27,000 — Despite Legal Workforce

In a decision dated December 22, 2010, the US Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO) found a fast food franchisee in Fayetteville, North Carolina, guilty of I-9 violations and fined the company $27,150. Count I alleged that the franchisee hired 11 individuals from 2006 through early 2009, yet failed to ensure that they properly completed Section 1 of the I-9 Form and/or failed itself to properly complete Section 2 or Section 3. Count II alleged that the franchisee hired 97 individuals during the same time period for whom it failed to prepare any I-9s. Penalties were sought in the amount of $1,028.50 for each violation, for a total of $111,078. OCAHO found that, based upon a visual inspection, the I-9 Forms for the 11 individuals named in Count I contained substantive violations, and no I-9 Forms could be produced for any of the 97 employees named in Count II. For reasons discussed below, OCAHO ultimately fined the franchisee $27,150, approximately 25% of the penalties sought by ICE.

Never Backdate I-9 Forms

Employers should be aware that the substantive violations found in Count I were caused in part by the ICE auditor subtly marking a Form I-9 to determine if it was later tampered with, something that the franchisee tried to do, demonstrating bad faith. In this case, the ICE auditor made “three subtle marks” to determine later whether the forms produced were backdated or completed after service of the Notice of Inspection on the franchisee in the context of the auditor simultaneously providing a sample I-9 Form and a copy of the Handbook for Employers (M-274). At that time, the ICE auditor expressly warned the franchisee’s employee not to backdate the I-9 Form if new ones were prepared. When the I-9s were subsequently reviewed by ICE, however, it was determined that they had all been completed after the Notice, and that 7 of the 11 forms were backdated with the employer attestation at Section 2 still left blank.

Factors Used by OCAHO in Setting Penalties

Turning to assessing the amount of fines to be levied, OCAHO considered the following five factors which were not given equal weight:

  • Size of the business,
  • Good faith of the employer,
  • Seriousness of the violation(s),
  • Whether or not the individuals involved were unauthorized aliens, and
  • Any history of previous violations of the employer.

 Each factor will be reviewed in light of the fines levied against the franchisee.

Size of Employer

OCAHO found the franchisee’s relatively small size to be a mitigating factor in assessing the fines. Analyzing its number of employees, OCAHO determined that despite being part of a national fast food franchise, the franchisee was in fact a small employer with a large turnover common in the fast food industry, hence the 97 former employees.

Good Faith

Any analysis of an employer’s good faith focuses first on whether or not the employer reasonably attempted to comply with its obligations prior to issuance of the Notice of Inspection. Here, OCAHO determined that:

“…there is not a scintilla of evidence that suggests [the franchisee] made any effort whatsoever to ascertain the requirements of the law…[The franchisee] made no effort at all to ascertain what the law required and lacked the reasonable diligence required: there was simply no attempt at compliance prior to the Notice of Inspection. [The franchisee’s] subsequent attempts at compliance have minimal bearing on an analysis of its good faith because conduct occurring after the investigation is over is ordinarily outside the permissible scope of consideration.”

It is important for employers to note that mistakes found in Section 1 completed by the employee can be attributable to the employer as the employer is obligated to ensure that the employee properly completes Section 1: “[The franchisee] not only made no effort at all to ascertain what the law requires or to conform its conduct to it, it also attempted deception by permitting employees to backdate I-9 forms, and this is sufficient to support an assessment of bad faith.”

Further, the franchisee’s belated and disingenuous attempt to complete the I-9s by failing to attest to its own compliance in Section 2 implies an avoidance of liability for perjury.

Seriousness of the Violation(s)

OCAHO noted that a failure to prepare an I-9 at all is among the most serious of paperwork violations. As described above as a demonstration of a lack of good faith, OCAHO found the franchisee’s failure to complete Section 2 to imply an avoidance of liability for perjury.

Employees were not Unauthorized and Employer had no History of Previous Violations
None of the employees whose I-9s were involved was an unauthorized to work, nor had the franchisee a history of violations, probably mitigating the fines levied.

Mitigating or Exacerbating Factors in Assessing Penalties

Here, OCAHO took into account the depressed state of the economy and the difficulty any displaced employee would have in finding other work and reduced the penalties accordingly. As a result, the franchisee was directed to pay $27,150 in civil money penalties and not the $111,078 sought by ICE.

Conclusion

Employers should be aware that they will be blamed by ICE and penalized accordingly for failing to ensure their employees are properly completing Section 1, for permitting backdating or tampering with incomplete or missing I-9s for failing to complete its Section 2. Merely employing a legal workforce will not absolve an employer from imposition of penalties if Section 1 of its I-9 Forms are not meticulously completed by the employee on day one of hire for pay and Section 2 by the employer by day three.  

© 2011 Poyner Spruill LLP. All rights reserved.

Verification Two-Step: One step forward, one step back—A review of the GAO report on the progress made to improve E-Verify

Recently posted at the National Law Review – Kevin Lashus and Maggie Murphy of Greenberg Traurig provide some great insight(s) on the recently filed GAO Report on E-Verify and why employers should be concerned: 

Washington, D.C. (January 19, 2011) —  On January 18, 2011, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its December 17, 2010 report entitled, “Employment Verification: Federal Agencies Have Taken Steps to Improve E-Verify, but Significant Challenges Remain.”  Provided is a summary of the GAO’s findings, and where we believe USCIS’ Verification Division may move to implement modifications to the existing system based upon the GAO’s recommendations.

The report is a summary of the review GAO conducted to assess how USCIS and SSA have been able to ensure accuracy of the verification process in E-Verify and whether either (or both) have taken measures to combat fraud.  Specifically, GAO examined efforts taken by both agencies to (1) reduce tentative nonconfirmations (TNCs), (2) safeguard private personal information submitted, and (3) prepare for the increased use of the program that may result from either increased state and local legislation (executive action) or a federal mandate.

Two of the conclusions of the report should be of great concern to employers:

(1) Because TNCs are more likely to affect foreign-born employees, the issuance of false TNCs (TNCs issued commonly because names are recorded differently on various ID and work authorization documents) will likely lead to increased allegations of discrimination; and

(2) E-Verify remains exceedingly vulnerable to identity theft and employer fraud.

Some of the other significant findings:

  • Employees are limited in their ability to identify the source of and how to correct information in the DHS and SSA databases (including the significant delay in the correction process—commonly taking an average of 104 days).
     
  • Long-term cost associated with the administration of the E-Verify program and complementary national systems and SSA databases do not reliably depict current budgetary allocations for the costs of administration.
     
  • Securing sufficient resources to effectively execute the program plans for the future has not been anticipated and may not be properly anticipated in budgetary projections.
  • Recommended fixes to the program will result in increased transactions costs, including the resolution of false TNCs, administrative leave for employees to allow them to resolve erroneous mismatches, and additional training costs to educate the employees about reducing the likelihood of name-related, erroneous TNCs.
  • USCIS should consider providing an employee-accessible portal that would allow employees to correct inaccuracies or inconsistencies within DHS databases.
     
  • USCIS and SSA should finalize the terms of the service-level agreement that defines the requirements of SSA to establish and maintain the capacity and availability of its system components.
  • USCIS should consider a budget for the life-cycle cost of the program that reflects the four characteristics of a reliable estimate consistent with best practices—essentially, that long-term there is enough resources to ensure the program is comprehensive, well-documented, accurate, and credible.

Notwithstanding the findings, there is a clear message contained in the report:  Comprehensive reform is required to root-out the incidence of document fraud. The use of biometrics in identification/authorization documentation is the only likely cure of the ills currently inherent in the system. 

Until that time, USCIS must reallocate resources to address fraud issues—doubling the number of monitoring and compliance staff to oversee employers’ use of E-Verify AND allocating resources to recognize and correct mismatched information in the various DHS databases. 

In other words, instead of addressing the defects of the verification paradigm, the Government is allocating additional resources to address problems with the process that cannot be cured with the current system.  Notably,

  • Senior E-Verify program officials reported that the Monitoring and Compliance Branch is limited in its ability to fully identify patterns and trends in the data that could signal employers’ noncompliance, but E-Verify will be committing $6M in implementing advanced data systems to gain the capacity to conduct complex analyses of E-Verify data.
  • Senior E-Verify program officials will also be reaching out to employers who fail to master the training tutorial—either with a compliance letter (a compliance failure notification) or a phone call—to further assist employers with the E-Verify process. They  will then follow up with the “targeted” employers to assess whether the prior non-compliant behavior has been adjusted.
  • Senior E-Verify and ICE worksite enforcement agents reported that they are currently coordinating to help USCIS better target its monitoring efforts because (1) login profiles to the E-Verify program are not monitored, (2) USCIS cannot currently monitor the extent to which employers follow the MOU provisions, and (3) employers who do not respond and remedy noncompliant behavior are not adequately sanctioned under the current program.

Ultimately, a great deal of the burden to address the deficiencies of the current verification system will fall to employers.  The current patchwork system cannot address the underlying reality that as long as 11 or so million unauthorized employees require employment to survive, a robust market of sophisticated, fraudulent documents will flourish.  Until the problems are adequately addressed, increased oversight and monitoring of the program will result in increased scrutiny of the employer by both ICE and USCIS, with the risk that compliance policy modification may result in increased allegations of discrimination.

Sure seems like one step forward, one step back.

This Alert is issued for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed or used as general legal advice. 

 Media Contact: Lourdes Brezo-Martinez, Greenberg Traurig, PA 212-801-2131.

©2011 Greenberg Traurig, LLP. All rights reserved.

Sunshine (State) Surprise – Florida's New E-Verify Requirement

From recent featured guest blogger at the National Law Review, Dawn M. Lurie and Kevin Lashus of Greenberg Traurig provide some needed details on Florida’s new E-Verify Requirement: 

Governor Rick Scott wasted no time in making the state of Florida the 14th the nation to have a mandatory E-Verify requirement. Only minutes after being sworn in, the governor signed his second executive order of the day—the first created the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform to review regulations in the Sunshine State. Scott had touted ideas about mandating E-Verify during his heated primary fight with former Attorney General Bill McCollum but the magnitude of the actual order caught many by surprise.

Executive Order No. 11-02 requires:

1) All agencies under the direction of the governor to verify the employment eligibility of ALL current and prospective agency employees through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system;

2) All agencies under the direction of the governor to include, as a condition of all state contracts, an express requirement that contractors utilize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of:

a) all persons employed during the contract term by the contractor to perform employment duties within Florida; and b) all persons (including subcontractors) assigned by the contractor to perform work pursuant to the contract with the state agency.

b) all persons (including subcontractors) assigned by the contractor to perform work pursuant to the contract with the state agency.

3) Agencies not under the direction of the governor are encouraged to verify the employment eligibility of their current and prospective employees utilizing the E-Verify system, and to require contractors to utilize the E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of their employees and subcontractors.

E-Verify is web-based, voluntary program that compares an employee’s Form I-9 information with the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security databases. E-Verify is considered a best practice by the government in terms of immigration compliance, has recently been upgraded to include a photo-matching component for U.S. passports, and will soon debut a driver’s license pilot program. In September of 2009, Congress required that all federal contractors and their subs use E-Verify for new employees (new hires) and all existing employees assigned to a federal contract. This was the only instance where E-Verify was authorized to use to verify a current workforce—until now. Scott’s Executive Order requiring re-verification of current and prospective employees transcends what is legally allowed under current federal law, and is therefore likely to face an immediate court challenge. Prospective employees? Lawyers over at the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (the part of the Department of Justice that enforces the antidiscrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act) are likely reeling from the breadth of the Order. And, the Verification Division at USCIS—the agency responsible for running the E-Verify program—may also be scramblingto determine whether to help Floridian employers implement compliance practices under these terms. As proposed, this represents a third typeof E-Verify for them to administer: normal, FAR-impacted and Florida. It is unclear who will be responsible to pay for development of the application on these terms. How might it work? Does this harken back to the Arizona question again—can the state trump the federal government on immigration requirements?

Ironically, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee rescinded Rhode Island Executive Order 08-01 that required the state, as well as contractors and vendors doing business with Rhode Island, to register and use E-Verify for all new hires. Chafee called the use of E-Verify a “divisive issue.”

Regardless of the future, Florida’s state agencies now need to be aware of the E-Verify process and should—like all other employers participating in E-Verify—undergo a comprehensive I-9 training, conducted by competent counsel, so that each of the designated E-Verify specialists may become experienced in the intricacies of employment eligibility verification. The verification process has become increasingly complex. Florida’s governor just complicated E-Verify even more. Any missteps by employees charged with verification compliance could be deadly. Employers must recognize that even the most well-intentioned individuals could attract both civil and criminal liability, not only upon themselves, but also upon their employers for failing to follow the verification process accurately and completely.

©2011 Greenberg Traurig, LLP. All rights reserved.

The Crackdown on Employment of Illegal Immigrants Spreads to California

Featured Guest Bloggers this week at the National Law Review are from Greenberg Traurig LLP.  Mahsa Aliaskari and Matthew B. Hayes have written one of the most  comprehensive articles we’ve  come accross reagrding E-Verify – especially as it applies in California.  

Murrieta and Temecula Join Growing List of Southern California Cities Requiring Employers to Use E-Verify

In 2007, Arizona became the first state to pass legislation requiring employers to use the voluntary E-Verify1 program to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires. Since then, Arizona has been the focal point for publicity and legal challenges on attempts by states and localities to crack down on the employment of illegal immigrants. However, Arizona is not the only place where we are seeing state and local action.

Behind the scenes, several Southern California cities have quietly followed Arizona’s lead enacting similar laws mandating use of E-Verify. On July 13, 2010, Temecula joined the growing list of Southern California cities requiring employers to use E-Verify as a condition for maintaining a business license, and on December 20, 2010, Murrieta’s city council moved forward with its plans to institute a similar ordinance. While the State of California has not jumped on the bandwagon, many of its localities are taking action and increasing the burden on companies doing business not only across state lines but across city and county lines.

Given the expansion of immigration laws at the state and local level, it is imperative that employers keep abreast of developments in this area and ensure that their hiring practices are legally compliant in each of the locations they employ workers.

The Trend Toward Making Use of E-Verify Mandatory

The growing trend of states and localities enacting their own legislation to police immigration related-activity has its roots in frustration over the federal government’s inability to effectively address illegal immigration and enact comprehensive immigration reform. While the frustration may be justified, the federal government did not make use of E-Verify mandatory for many reasons. A January of 2010 report2 conducted by Westat researchers found that E-Verify is not immune from identity theft. According to the report 4.1% of those passing E-Verify are not truly authorized workers. More specifically, 54% of unauthorized workers who were run through E-Verify were inaccurately identified as workauthorized. The findings appear to support claims of various groups that have criticized EVerify as being particularly vulnerable to identity theft and fraud. In addition, while improving, there continues to be false positives — while the rate is low there are still U.S. citizens and workauthorized foreign nationals who are denied employment through E-Verify.

What is more alarming though is the opportunity for intentional or unintentional abuse and misuse of E-Verify by employers who violate program rules. There have been reports of employers restricting work assignments, delaying job training, reducing pay or simply not hiring non-U.S. citizens based on database errors. In March of 2010, USCIS posted a fact sheet outlining its agreement and plans to share information with the Office of Special Council3 (OSC) at the Department of Justice. The fact sheet notes that the purpose of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) “is to establish a streamlined process for referring E-Verify matters falling within the other’s jurisdiction. OSC will receive referrals of potential discrimination that come to USCIS; in turn, USCIS will receive from OSC referrals of potential employer misuse of E-Verify that does not fall within DOJ’s enforcement arena.” Potential misuse of the program is cause for concern for all employers and a discrimination suit waiting in the shadows for employers who are not well versed in the proper use of the program. These problems and pitfalls should serve as a warning to states and localities considering and instituting E-Verify mandates.

Regardless of the federal government’s reasons for not mandating the use of the program, many states and localities continue to march forward with their own E-Verify requirements. Employers failing to comply with these E-Verify laws can face substantial penalties, including monetary fines, preclusion from contracting with federal, state and local governments, and suspension or revocation of their business licenses.

While Arizona has been at the forefront of this trend since enacting the Legal Arizona Workers Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2008,4 Arizona simply paved the way for others. Several other states have since passed or adopted similar legislation. For instance, in 2008 Mississippi passed legislation requiring that all private employers participate in E-Verify, with a phase-in period beginning in 2008 and full participation by 2011. On March 31, 2010, Utah adopted the Private Employer Verification Act that requires employers with 15 or more employees to use E-Verify or another verification system approved by the Department of Homeland Security to confirm the employment eligibility of hew hires. The South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act, passed in 2008, requires all employers to use E-Verify to confirm the eligibility of new hires, or in the alternative, hire only workers who possess or qualify to obtain a South Carolina driver’s license or identification card. The South Carolina law goes even further by authorizing the state to scrutinize a businesses’ hiring records and cite or fine employers found to have unauthorized workers on their payrolls.

California Localities Join in With Their Own E-Verify Mandates

Currently, California does not have any statewide laws mandating the use of E-Verify. However, in the last few years, several cities in Southern California passed local ordinances requiring the use of E-Verify for some or all businesses. These cities and their respective E-Verify requirements include:

  • Mission Viejo: Effective July 1, 2007, the city and employers with city contracts must verify the eligibility of new employees through E-Verify.
  • Palmdale: Effective July 1, 2008, to be eligible for contracts with the city exceeding $50,000, a contractor must be enrolled in E-Verify.
  • Lancaster: Effective December 31, 2009, all employers in the city must use E-Verify to confirm eligibility of new hires. Failure to comply with this requirement can result in business license suspension.
  • Temecula: Effective January 1, 2011, all employers in the city must use E-Verify to confirm the eligibility of new hires as a condition of receiving or maintaining a business license.
  • Murrieta: The City Council is expected to approve an ordinance mandating that all locally operated enterprises use E-Verify. Code enforcement officers would have authority to confirm compliance with EVerify. Enforcement tools will include fines and license revocation.

Constitutional Challenge to State and Local Laws Requiring Use of E-Verify

The constitutionality of state and local governments requiring employers to use E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility is presently unresolved. On December 8, 2010, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments on Chamber of Commerce v. Candelaria, No. 09-115. The Supreme Court’s decision is expected in Spring 2011 and will likely determine the fate of similar laws recently enacted throughout several Southern California cities. The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAWA).

Arizona’s law increased the level of state action by taking advantage of an exception to the preemption clause of the Immigration Reform & Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) relating to licensing laws. The law’s bold move in authorizing Arizona state courts to suspend or revoke business licenses provides the state with an enforcement mechanism not used previously. One of the primary issues in that case is whether the preemption clause applies and if state and local governments — as opposed to only the federal government — can require participation in the E-Verify program. Those challenging Arizona’s E-Verify requirement argue that immigration related legislation falls within the purview of the federal government, consequently laws like that enacted in Arizona conflict with, and are therefore preempted by, federal laws. In this instance referring to federal laws which contemplate that, except in limited circumstances, the use of E-Verify by employers would be voluntary. Prior to the Supreme Court granting review of the case, the Ninth Circuit upheld Arizona’s legislation, finding that it was not preempted by federal law. In light of the decision and arguments upholding the LAWA, it will be interesting to see the outcome of the pending Supreme Court case.

What These Developments Mean for California Employers

Pending the Supreme Court’s decision on the Arizona law, the number of state and local governments enacting laws mandating use of E-Verify is expected to continue and increase. In light of the evolving nature of immigration compliance and the intricacies of E-Verify and the Memorandum of Understanding that employers must agree to and sign when enrolling in E-Verify, it is critical that employers remain apprised of relevant developments, understand the E-Verify laws applicable in each state and city where they employ workers, and ensure their hiring practices are legally compliant. If your company has not yet enrolled in E-Verify and it is being considered either because of legal mandate or as a best practice, it is critical that an internal review of the existing workforce and Form I-9s be conducted first and with experienced counsel. The “culture of compliance” is the theme of the Obama administration and it is spreading to cities and states across the nation. A few proactive steps will go a long way in limiting liabilities and exposure.

Resources

Promoting a Culture of Compliance — Best Practices for your Business

  • Establish a comprehensive immigration compliance policy
  • Conduct in-house audits of Form I-9 documents and company policies, as well as E-Verify if applicable
  • Establish policies, protocols and training for employment verification
  • Diligently verify the identity of job applicants to ensure that they “are who they say they are”
  • Consider use of E-Verify after consultation with experienced immigration compliance counsel
  • Establish protocols for addressing Social Security No-Match letters
  • Establish and maintain safeguards against the use of the I-9 process for unlawful discrimination
  • Create a protocol for immigration compliance related to contractors and subcontractors

ICE utilizes various tools to target employers, particularly those involved with vital infrastructure and national security, as well as the usual suspects – unofficially “targeted” industries – food service, textile, meat/poultry plants and constructions. Employers must take steps now to ensure full compliance or face serious consequences. Actions taken before a government-initiated audit or investigation generally help mitigate damages, reduce exposure and save the company both time and money in the long-run.

1 E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration. Its purpose is to enable participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their workforce. Under the system, employers fill out an online form with the information provided by new hires on the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (commonly referred to as the I-9 Form). That information is then cross-referenced with an assortment of government databases to confirm the worker’s employment eligibility.

2 The evaluation was conducted by Westat, a Rockville, Maryland-based social science research firm under contract to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The evaluation was managed by the USCIS Office of Policy and Strategy, independent of the E-Verify program office, which is run by the USCIS Verification Division.

3 OSC is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provisions of the INA. The antidiscrimination provisions include violations involving: (1) citizenship status discrimination, (2) national origin discrimination, (3) unfair documentary practices during the employment eligibility verification process (document abuse) and (4) retaliation.

4 That legislation requires all employers in Arizona to use E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires. It penalizes employers who knowingly or intentionally hire illegal immigrants by suspending or revoking their business licenses.

©2011 Greenberg Traurig, LLP. All rights reserved.

 

 

E-Verify Tentative Nonconfirmations: Don’t Panic Just Yet

Recent Business of Law Guest Blogger at the National Law Review, John Fay of LawLogix Group, Inc. provides a nice walk-through of what employers can expect when they receive a mismatch or tentative nonconfirmation (TNC) through the e-verify system. 

As an employer, there’s a certain amount of trepidation that comes with using the E-Verify system. While roughly 97% of all employees are instantly (or shortly thereafter) confirmed as work authorized, it’s the potential 3% which receive a mismatch or tentantive nonconfirmation (TNC)  that keep us up at night. Was there a mistake in the information that we submitted or perhaps a mistake with the SSA or DHS database? Or what if the employee is unauthorized to work? When do I have to terminate him? Processing a TNC requires employer guidance, employee action, and often, lots of patience. The most important thing to remember is that a TNC does not mean that your employee is unauthorized to work. It’s just the first step in an E-Verify dance with government systems. Sounds like fun, right?

Process Overview

First, there are many perfectly legitimate reasons for a TNC, and your role as the employer is to communicate that fact with your employee. For example, your employee could receive a Social Security mismatch because of the following:

  • Name, SSN or date of birth is incorrect in SSA database
  • Employee failed to report a name change to SSA (married name, perhaps?)
  • USCIS immigration status was not updated with SSA

You might also receive a DHS TNC because of the following:

  • Photo ID of green card, EAD , or US passport (starting September 26th) does not match DHS records (this is a comparison you would perform manually when prompted)
  • Information was not updated in DHS records
  • Citizenship or immigration status has recently changed
  • Name, alien number, and/or I-94 admission number were incorrect in DHS database

Regardless of the reason, you must first notify the employee in private of the TNC case result by printing the TNC Notice (to be signed) which is automatically generated by the E-Verify system. This letter explains all of the possible reasons why the TNC may have occurred and instructs the employee to review their information to make sure it was correct. Assuming it was, the employee then has 2 choices: CONTEST or NOT CONTEST. If the employee chooses to contest, then you must initiate a referral (in the E-Verify system) and provide them with a TNC Referral Letter (to be signed) that is automatically generated. This letter instructs the employee to contact the appropriate government agency (SSA or DHS) within 8 federal government work days to resolve the case. If there was a photo mismatch, you will also be instructed to send a copy to E-Verify. Alternatively, if the employee chooses not to contest, you may terminate employment and close the case.

The Waiting Game

Assuming that your employee has contested and you have properly referred them, the waiting game begins. E-Verify instructs employers that they will provide a case update (in the system) within 10 federal government working days. Employers using the web interface will need to check the system periodically, whereas employers using electronic I-9 systems can see updates automatically on their dashboard. Regardless of how you check, remember that you may not ask the employee for additional evidence of confirmation that SSA or DHS resolved the case. Doing so might be viewed as discriminatory. On the other hand, you should be diligent in checking on the case to see if there are updates. I did say this was a dance didn’t I?

Occasionally, the SSA or DHS may need more time to resolve a TNC – this could happen for a variety of reasons. Local SSA offices may be over-burdened with their core tasks (application for SSA benefits) or the employee may not have the documentation needed by SSA to support a change in their records. These record requests can add weeks to the process, and needless gray hairs to the worried HR representative. Regardless, the rules make it clear that you may not terminate, suspend, delay training, withhold or lower pay, or take any other adverse action against an employee based on the employee’s decision to contest a TNC or while the case is still pending with SSA.

The End Game

If all goes well, SSA or DHS will update its records and the employee’s case in E-Verify to indicate “Employment Authorized.” Occasionally, SSA may require the employer, employee or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take additional action before a final case result can be issued. In these cases, SSA will update the employee’s case with a different message. Once the employee has received a final case status, such as “Employment Authorized” or “SSA FNC,” the employer must close the case in E-Verify. If the employee received an “SSA FNC,” the employer must also indicate whether the employee was terminated.

Paper Trail

If you review the last 4 paragraphs, you’ll notice I mentioned a variety of letters and notices. As with most areas of I-9 compliance, documentation is key. Therefore, as an employer, you’ll want to make sure to keep these signed letters on file with the I-9 (as instructed in your E-Verify User Manual). In the event of a government audit (relating to I-9s or E-Verify), you may be required to present these.  If you are usinga good electronic I-9 and E-Verify compliance system, the employee and employer should be able to electronically sign these letters, and the system should automatically attach them to the employee’s record along with a detailed audit trail.  Documentation is good, but paperless documentation with detailed audit trails is even better yet in building your “Good Faith” defense in case of an EEOC/OFCCP investigation and/or ICE audit!

More Information

Resolving TNCs can be a complicated process, and I’ve just given you a very brief overview. For more information, check out the USCIS web site here and review the latest E-Verify user manual. And if you’re stuck with a tricky E-Verify situation, make sure you consult experienced immigration counsel to avoid any missteps in this government dance

LawLogix Group, Inc. © 2001-2010 All Rights Reserved

Employment-Based Preference EB-5 Program Assistance

For the National Law Review’s featured guest bloggers from Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP.  Hugh E. Wall III discusses an immigrant visa program which gives preference to qualified foreign investors. 

The fifth employment-based preference (“EB-5”) immigrant visa program encourages qualified foreign investors to invest within the United States in exchange for permanent residency. The program is currently underutilized; of the 10,000 EB-5 visas available last year, the United States Customs and Immigration Service (“USCIS”) only issued 4,218 visas. The following list is a summary of the program features.

  • Pursuant to the basic program, an alien investor must make a capital investment of either $500,000 or $1,000,000, depending on whether the investor invests in a “Targeted Employment Area” (“TEA”), in a new commercial enterprise located within the United States. The enterprise must directly create or preserve at least ten full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers.
  • Under the Regional Center Pilot Program, foreign investors must complete the basic program requirements by investing either $500,000 or $1,000,000 in a new commercial enterprise. However, unlike the basic program, under the Regional Center Pilot Program, the new commercial venture need not directly create the ten jobs required by the basic program. Instead, the commercial venture need only show that the investment indirectly created or preserved ten jobs.
  • To create a Regional Center, an individual or entity must file a Regional Center Proposal with USCIS to request approval of the investment proposal and the designation of the applying entity as a Regional Center. The entity applying for Regional Center status must maintain at least $100,000 in capital before the USCIS will award Regional Center status. There are currently 90 Regional Centers operating in 34 states. USCIS awards the vast majority of utilized EB-5 visas to alien investors who have invested in a Regional Center.
  • A TEA is an area with an unemployment rate that is at least 150% of the national average. If the foreign investor invests in a non-TEA, the investor must contribute the standard threshold minimum of $1,000,000. If the investor invests in a TEA, the investor need only invest $500,000 to be eligible for the EB-5 visa.

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