In an effort to increase the usage and visibility of the E-Verify system, USCIS announced on August 15 that it has expanded E-Verify's "Self Check" feature to include residents of 16 additional states and also to now include a new Spanish language version.

Self Check allows job applicants to check their eligibility to work under the E-Verify system before they are hired, affording job applicants a "sneak peak" into the government's data. When using Self Check, job applicants enter the same required identity and work authorization information an employer provides when confirming a new hire through E-Verify.

E-Verify is an Internet-based government system that requires participating employers to enter the employee data from Form I-9 to be confirmed against the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records. Until recently, E-Verify was only accessible to participating employers as part of the I-9 process.

In March 2011, USCIS initially rolled out the Self Check feature for residents of 5 states and the District of Columbia. With this week's announcement, USCIS has broadened the scope of the program to now include a total of 21 states and the District of Columbia: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

A copy of the announcement can be accessed here.

Please feel free to contact any member of Proskauer's Immigration Group to discuss whether Self Check is an appropriate tool for prospective employees.