Business Licenses and Permits

E-Verify, a federal government database that businesses can use to determine if employees are legally in the United States, is growing in popularity.  Currently, 13 states use E-Verify to evaluate the immigration status of employees and more are considering jumping on board.  New Jersey is considering making E-Verify mandatory for businesses with 100 or more employees and Pennsylvania is considering requiring it for construction contractors.

While E-Verify is popular, it is not perfect.  There are conflicting reports on the accuracy of the system.  Separate studies found that 7% of people on the list are actually U.S. citizens and that error rates in the system increase for foreign-born workers and naturalized citizens.

While E-Verify seems to be a good solution for right now, a more accurate, long term solution is needed as more states require employee status verification.  There needs to be increased oversight of the data accuracy and a streamlined system that all types of businesses can easily use to make the program viable.

Amy Lee, Business License Research Analyst, Corporation Service Company

Tags: immigration