E-verify is a free, accurate and reliable federal system that allows employers to determine whether new hires have a legal right to work in the U.S. Participating employers enter information from an I-9 Form -- the paper-based form currently used for verifying workplace eligibility -- into E-Verify, which checks the information against Social Security Administration records and Department of Homeland Security records. 98.3 percent of all queries are automatically verified as employment-authorized either instantly or within 24 hours.
E-Verify is an Internet-based status check system, not a database. Personal information remains securely locked away in the SSA and DHS databases. It has an extraordinarily small error rate (0.28 percent) and utilizes special safeguards to ensure that employees are not discriminated against. E-Verify also allows individuals to “self-check” their workplace eligibility status.
While its usage remains voluntary throughout the country, some states have passed legislation making its use mandatory for certain businesses.
If you can't find a company in the database, don’t conclude that it doesn’t use E-Verify. Ask them first. This list only includes companies with five or more employees and may only include the name and address where they process E-verify. Walmart, for example, is listed under "Walmart Stores" in Springdale, Arkansas.
