Pres. Obama's administration has called on Congress to enact comprehensive immigration legislation that contains a federal E-Verify requirement
While Arizona has recently received much of the press regarding this issue, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have also moved forward to introduce E-Verify legislation designed to combat the employment of unauthorized workers.
E-Verify does not exempt employers from I-9 completion. Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act, or IRCA, all employers are required to verify that individuals hired after Nov. 6, 1986, are authorized to work in the United States by completing Form I-9. On the federal level, E-Verify is voluntary except for certain federal contractors, who are now required to use E-Verify if they have a qualifying contract. As explained below, many states now require E-Verify and Pennsylvania and New Jersey are following this trend.