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Year
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Description of E-Verify History and Milestone
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Number of Participating Employers (cumulative)
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Number of E-Verify Cases (per Fiscal Year)
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1986
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The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) Enacted
The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 required employers to examine documentation from each newly hired employee to prove his or her identity and eligibility to work in the United States. This act led to the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, requiring employees to attest to their work eligibility, and employers to certify that the documents presented reasonably appear (on their face) to be genuine and to relate to the individual.
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1996
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Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) Enacted
The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 required the then Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)--which became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2003--to conduct three distinct pilot programs: Basic Pilot, the Citizen Attestation Pilot, and the Machine-Readable Document Pilot. These pilots were used to determine the best method of verifying an employee's employment verification.
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1997
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Basic Pilot Program Launched
The INS, in conjunction with the Social Security Administration (SSA), implemented the Basic Pilot Program in California, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, New York and Texas. The Basic Pilot Program was voluntary and allowed employers to confirm the work eligibility of their newly hired employees. The Basic Pilot Program used information from the employee's Form I-9 and compared it to the information in INS and SSA records. To verify information with SSA, employers were required to call SSA. Once the SSA information was confirmed by phone, the employer entered I-9 data into a computer program which transmitted the data to INS via a modem connection.
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1998
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Basic Pilot Program Integrates SSA Verification
Employers were able to complete both the SSA and INS portion of the verification case by entering I-9 data into a computer program which transmitted the data to INS and SSA via modem.
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1999
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Designated Agent Basic Pilot Launched
INS, in conjunction with the Social Security Administration (SSA), implemented the Designated Agent Basic Pilot Program. The Designated Agent Basic Pilot Program was voluntary and allowed employers to use a third-party agent to confirm the work eligibility of their newly hired employees.
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2001
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Basic Pilot Program Reauthorized
Congress reauthorized and extended the Basic Pilot program until 2003.
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1,064
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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559,815
Cases
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2002
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Basic Pilot Program Continued to Grow
Though no major upgrades were made to the program or its systems, the Basic Pilot Program continued to grow within the pilot states.
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1,704
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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660,885
Cases
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2003
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Basic Pilot Program Extension and Expansion Act of 2003 Enacted
Congress enacted the Basic Pilot Program Extension and Expansion Act of 2003. This extended the Basic Pilot Program to November 2008. The new law also required the expansion of the Basic Pilot Program to all 50 states no later than December 1, 2004.
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2,144
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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588,479
Cases
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2004
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Basic Pilot Program Access Expanded to World Wide Web
The Basic Pilot Program implemented a new Web-based access method to confirm employment eligibility. The new Web-based access method allowed users to access Basic Pilot through any Internet-capable computer. Other features of the Internet version include online enrollment, reporting capability for users, and availability of the web interface 23 hours a day.
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3,478
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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757,342
Cases
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2005
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Additional Access Methods Added to the Basic Pilot
The Corporate Administrator access method was created to allow companies to enroll, maintain, and oversee companies under the jurisdiction of their corporate offices. The Corporate Administrator does not create employment eligibility verification cases.
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5,899
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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980,991
Cases
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2006
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Basic Pilot Program Added Web Services
Web Services allows Designated Agents or employers to develop software that interfaces between their own systems and E-Verify.
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11,474
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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1,743,654
Cases
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2007
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Basic Pilot Improved and Renamed E-Verify
The Basic Pilot Program was renamed E-Verify. Along with the new name, the program added more features including an automatic flagging system that prompts employers to double-check the data entered into the web interface for those cases that are about to result in a mismatch. This change reduced data entry errors and initial mismatches by approximately 30 percent.
The launch of E-Verify also marked the addition of photo matching. Photo matching is the first step in incorporating biometric data into the web interface. Photo matching was developed for employees presenting a Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Document, and allows the employer to match the photo on an employee's document with the photo in USCIS records.
State workforce agencies were encouraged to use E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of any worker referred to an employer in response to an H-2A job order.
Public Education Program Launched
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched a public education branch to educate employers, employees and other stakeholders about E-Verify and the Form I-9. Additionally, informative materials were created and distributed. Brochures include: "You Should Know Your Rights and Responsibilities," "You Have Rights" and "How Do I Use E-Verify?"
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24,463
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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3,271,871
Cases
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2008
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E-Verify Web Interface Further Enhanced
New upgrades to E-Verify now allow the program to automatically check U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization data. This reduced citizenship status mismatches by approximately 39 percent. The Integrated Border Inspection System real time arrival and departure information for non-citizens is also added to the records E-Verify record checks.
ICE Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) signed a MOA for the sharing of information between the two agencies. This agreement formalized the coordination and management of referrals between USCIS Verification Division and ICE regarding the misuse, abuse or fraudulent use of E-Verify.
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88,116
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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6,648,845
Cases
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2009
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Compliance Tracking and Management System (CTMS) Launched
USCIS began monitoring of employers based on analysis of their system usage and identification of specific noncompliant behaviors. Potential incidents of noncompliance are tracked in CTMS, along with the compliance actions that have been taken to address them.
Congress authorizes a three year extension of E-Verify until the end of September 2012.
Federal Contractor Regulation Goes into Effect
On September 8, 2009, the “Federal Contractor Regulation” went into effect. The new rule implements Executive Order 12989, as amended on June 6, 2008. Executive Order 12989 directs federal agencies to require many federal contractors entering into new contracts to use E-Verify on all new employees, and on existing employees working on covered federal contracts.
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156,659
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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8,171,711
Cases
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2010
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E-Verify Web Interface Redesigned
The E-Verify Web interface redesign, released in June, changed more than 200 individual screens. The redesigned interface creates greater efficiency and ease-of-use through improved navigational tools such as:
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Drop down boxes to minimize input errors
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Icons to aid understanding
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Clear and simple language
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A new home page
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A new ‘case alerts’ feature
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Improved case management
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Streamlined tutorials
Employee Hotline Launched
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) launched the E-Verify Employee Hotline, 888-897-7781. The hotline connects employees to customer service representatives who answer questions about E-Verify, Form I-9, and employment eligibility verification in general, in English and Spanish.
Department of Justice Memorandum of Agreement Signed
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division, Office of Special Counsel (OSC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement for sharing information between the two agencies. This agreement formalized information sharing between USCIS Verification Division and (OSC) regarding discriminatory use of E-Verify.
Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Videos Released
DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties created two new, educational training videos explaining E-Verify procedures and policies, employee rights and employer responsibilities. The videos are viewable at www.youtube.com/ushomelandsecurity.
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216,721
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
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13,411,411
Cases
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2011 |
DHS Introduces E-Verify Self Check for Workers
E-Verify Self Check (“Self Check”) is a voluntary, fast, free and simple service that allows individuals to check their employment eligibility in the United States. If any mismatches are found between the information provided and Department of Homeland Security or Social Security Administration records, Self Check explains how to correct those mismatches.
USCIS is releasing E-Verify Self Check in phases. Initial, the service is offered only to users that maintain an address and are physically located in Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Mississippi, or Virginia.
E-Verify Can Now Check Driver's Licenses - Mississippi is the first state to partner
New E-Verify enhancements include a driver’s license check capability. Mississippi is the first state to make its driver’s license data available to E-Verify. The partnership, developed in concert with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, is known as Records and Information from DMVs for E-Verify (RIDE).
Self Check Expands to 16 More States and is Now Available in English and Spanish
Self Check is now available in Spanish and is expanded to residents of 21 states and the District of Columbia. Self Check, a free, E-Verify service, allows workers to check their own employment eligibility status online.
Self Check is now available to individuals who maintain addresses in: Arizona; California; Colorado; Idaho; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Nebraska; Nevada; New Jersey; New York; Ohio; South Carolina; Texas; Utah; Virginia; Washington; and the District of Columbia.
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302,529
Employers enrolled in E-Verify
(as of November 16)
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17,400,000
Cases
(in Fiscal Year 2011)
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2012 |
Self Check Expands Nationwide
In February, USCIS announced the nationwide expansion of Self Check allowing workers anywhere in the U.S. to check their own work eligibility. This expansion is also available in Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Also in March, USCIS redesigned the Self Check Webpages.
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353, 822
Employers enrolled in E-Verify as of March 31
|
9.2 Million
Cases in FY 12 as of March 31
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