More States Considering Basic Pilot Program Legislation

PLEASE NOTE: The following is presented as general educational information. This information is not intended as legal advice and all information is subject to interpretation and frequent change. Although best efforts have been used in compiling this data, appropriate professionals should be consulted before making employment decisions.

Immigration reform continues to be a hot topic for legislators across the U.S. Many states are taking action to crack down on the use of illegal workers by enacting laws that require employers to participate in the Federal Basic Pilot Program to verify the employment eligibility of employees. Colorado was the first state to enact legislation, requiring all public contractors to participate and Georgia recently passed similar legislation that will become effective July 1, 2007. Nearly 25 other states have comparable legislation pending.

The federal government's voluntary Basic Pilot Program Employment Eligibility Verification provides legal right to work verification through checks of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) databases. To perform these checks, the system utilizes social security numbers (SSNs), Alien Registration Numbers, and I-94 Numbers.

If you need to comply with a recently enacted state law or wish to voluntarily participate in the Basic Pilot Program, Verifications can help. As part of our Employment Eligibility service, we've partnered with the first federally approved Designated Agent of the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. Our Legal Right to Work solution enables you to electronically submit your new hire's information to the DHS and SSA and receive a unique, government issued 15-digit case number specifically associated with the employment eligibility query. Check results are stored and retrieved electronically, simplifying reporting and retrieval. Access to the service is available from within SafeScreen Plus™.

Additionally, our Employment Eligibility service can help you electronically manage your I-9 Forms. Our solution replaces your paper I-9 Forms with an online form that enables you to paperlessly complete, store and manage the process. Our solution:

Ensures I-9 Forms are legally completed with built-in error detection functions. Audits show that 50% to 70% of I-9s contain errors and are therefore non-compliant.
Minimizes the potential for incorrect completion using built-in user guidance. Instructions, highlighted in green, appear throughout the form to help ensure the document is properly completed.
Saves time and increases security by utilizing encrypted, E-SIGN Act compliant click-to-sign electronic signatures.
Provides a completely paperless process including the ability to scan and store up to 10 accompanying I-9 related documents. An optional service includes auditing, scanning and storage of your existing I-9 documents.
Helps maintain valued employees with 90, 60 and 30-day Management Alerts that notify you prior to the expiration of work authorization documents.
Automatically purges records in accordance with legal guidelines.

V.I.'s Employment Eligibility solution provides detailed reporting for corporate oversight and management. In addition to quick access to Pending and Archived Form I-9s, Legal Right to Work verifications, and lists of expiring Work Authorizations, you can view and upload documentation, as well as export reports in multiple formats, including PDF and Excel.

For more information about Verifications' Employment Eligibility solution, please contact us at: (866) 455-0779 or e-mail sales@verificationsinc.com.