Know Your Rights About E-Verify

E-Verify (formerly known as the Basic Pilot program) is an Internet-based program that is voluntary at the federal level (except for certain federal contractors) and that allows participating employers to electronically verify workers’ employment eligibility with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA).

E-Verify is supposed to be used only after a worker is hired, and after the employer verifies the worker’s employment eligibility using an official government form called “Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification,” usually referred to as the “I-9 form.” Because the government databases upon which E-Verify relies contain errors that may affect you and many employers do not follow program rules, it is important that you know what your rights are.