E-Verify Requirements in the Southeast

The southeastern U.S. is serious about verifying employment eligibility. While the region isn’t traditionally known for tough HR regulations, it has the highest concentration of E-Verify mandates in the country.
 

E-Verify is a free electronic service that cross-references a new employee’s Form I-9 with data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to determine work eligibility. Since the nineties, enrollment in the program has ballooned from just 11,000 to over 750,000 companies.

While use of E-Verify is voluntary for most companies nationwide, a number of states have passed rules requiring or regulating their use. A full listing of these rules (limited to the southeast) is below:
 

Southeast E-Verify Requirements

Public and private employers with 6 or more employees must use E-Verify or maintain copies of identity and work authorization documents. (Effective 2011) All private employers with 50 or more workers must use E-Verify. (Effective 2017)
 

Employers in the jurisdictions above should note that use of E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants or to confirm the immigration status of an existing employee is a federal crime. The service should only be used to confirm employment eligibility for new hires.
 

Confirming employment eligibility is just one part of a compliant onboarding process. Click below to download our free Employee Onboarding Toolkit.