Employment (I-9) Verification

Employment Verification, Corporate Compliance

In the years since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, employers have been required to fill out and keep I-9 employment verification forms on file for all employees. There was little enforcement, however, and fraud and carelessness were routinely ignored. Until very recently it was unusual for the government to file a case against an employer for violations. Recently, the situation has changed dramatically. Enforcement, now handled by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency of the Department of Homeland Security, has become intense. ICE has begun organizing high-profile raids on businesses that are improperly employing foreign nationals, levying criminal and civil charges, and imposing heavy sanctions against those companies. Sanctions include a ban on hiring foreign nationals.

The risks are high—few large companies have accurately filled out every I-9 form and many businesses would be, if scrutinized, found out of compliance. At Watson Law Offices, our business immigration firm, attorney Roy Jack Watson, Jr., offers counsel to companies, assisting them in employment verification compliance. Mr. Watson will organize and conduct a review of records, assist in establishing procedures to reduce exposure to liability, and participate in training of managers in compliance with employment verification requirements.

Our firm has focused, for over thirty years, on assisting companies that employ highly skilled foreign nationals in visa applications. We serve our clients' business objectives. A natural extension of that service is counsel that helps the clients avoid the disruption and expense of ICE audits and the consequences of being found out of compliance.

Our attorney and staff provide immigration services to clients nationwide and throughout the Boston, Massachusetts area from offices on Route 128 (America's Technology Highway). For more information, or to schedule a consultation with experienced immigration lawyer Roy Jack Watson, Jr., please contact our Bedford office.