The Basic Pilot program is a voluntary Internet-based program that allows employers to  electronically verify workers’ employment eligibility with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and/or the Social Security Administration (SSA).  The Basic Pilot is one of three pilot programs created under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA).  It began operating in five states in 1997 and in a sixth state in 1999.  The other two pilot programs were discontinued.  In 2003, Congress extended the Basic Pilot to all 50 states under the Basic Pilot Program Extension and Expansion Act of 2003.

According to DHS, over 10,000 employers voluntarily use the Basic Pilot, representing approximately 36,000 work sites across the country.  DHS also reports that nearly 200 employers join the program each month.