E-Verify Self Check Goes Live on March 18, 2011

[peejay 327]

E-Verify Self Check Goes Live on March 18, 2011

by John Fay on February 16, 2011

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that the new E-Verify Self Check feature will go into effect on March 18, 2011. As previously reported, the E-Verify Self-Check initiative will enable individuals to check their work authorization status prior to being hired and facilitate correction of errors in the federal databases which E-Verify utilizes. Self Check was developed primarily to address concerns with the current employer-focused E-Verify process, where employees have very limited ability to identify, access or correct information that may ultimately lead to a tentative nonconfirmation (TNC). Self Check promises to provide an easy method for individuals to check their own employment eligibility status outside of the normal E-Verify process, and thereby reduce the likelihood of TNCs.

How will Self-Check work?

E-Verify Self Check will involve two broad steps (with a few others underneath): (1) Identity authentication of the individual and (2) an E-Verify query to confirm the individual’s current work authorization status. Here’s how it will work:

Step 1 – Identity Check

After browsing to the website, the individual will be asked to enter some basic identifying information, including name, address of residence, date of birth, and Social Security number (optional). After the information is entered by the individual, it will be submitted to a 3rd party identity assurance service (IdP) to generate a minimum of 2 “knowledge-based” questions that only the individual would be able to answer. If the individual is able to answer the questions, his or her identity is “authenticated”, and a pass indicator is sent to E-Verify (proceed to step 2). If the individual is unable to answer the questions or if there is not enough commercial identity verification information from financial institutions, public records, and other service providers to generate the questions, the individual’s identity cannot be authenticated and he will not be able to continue through E-Verify Self Check.

Step 2 – E-Verify Query

Once the individual has successfully completed the identity proofing quiz, he or she will be able to run an employment eligibility query to determine work eligibility status. The name and date of birth provided in Step 1 will be pre-populated and cannot be changed (for security reasons). The individual will then be required to enter additional information based on the documentation the person would present to an employer for the Form I–9 process. The additional information collected from an individual depends on citizenship status and could include: Alien Number (if non-citizen); passport number; Form I-94 number; and/or lawful permanent resident card or work authorization document (EAD) number. Sound familiar? That’s because this is the same information that is collected for the Form I-9 process and the basic E-Verify query.

E-Verify Self Check will then contact the E-Verify system through a web service connection and will present one of three results: (1) Work Authorization Confirmed; (2) Possible mismatch with SSA Information or (3) Possible mismatch with Immigration Information. If the individual receives the SSA or Immigration mismatch, E-Verify Self Check will prompt the individual whether he or she would like to resolve the mismatch or not. If the individual chooses not to resolve the mismatch, E-Verify will close the case. If the individual chooses to resolve an SSA mismatch, a form will be generated that contains the individual’s first and last name, the date and time of the E-Verify query, the E-Verify case number, and detailed instructions on how to resolve the mismatch. If the individual decides to resolve an Immigration Information mismatch, E-Verify Self Check provides instructions to contact E-Verify Customer Contact Office (CCO) to assist in the correction of immigration records 72 hours after the initial query to speak with a status verification representative. If the representative is unable to correct the record, the individual will be advised of actions necessary to correct the error.

Security and Privacy Concerns

When Self-Check was first announced, many organizations expressed concerns over the security and privacy of the individual’s personally identifiable information (PII) which is transmitted during the process. To address some of these concerns, the DHS system of records for Self-Check includes the following safeguards:

* The questions asked by the IdP and the answers provided by the individual are not provided to USCIS.

* If an individual fails the identity authentication portion of E-Verify Self Check and therefore is unable to proceed to an actual query in E-Verify, none of the information listed above is provided to or retained by E-Verify Self Check.

* Only the transaction number, the reason for failure, the date and time of the transaction, and error code are retained by the IdP to facilitate troubleshooting and system management.

It’s worth noting, however, that there are many other “routine” disclosures of this information which could be made outside of DHS. It’s a long list, so I recommend carefully reading page 4 of the notice here:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-02-16/pdf/2011-3490.pdf

Employer Concerns

While the launching of Self Check has the potential to reduce the number of TNCs, it still remains to be seen whether individuals will choose to use it, and if they can easily correct inaccuracies in the government databases. In addition, there is also a concern that some employers may be tempted to require their employees to use self-check prior to applying for a job. This would almost certainly constitute pre-screening, which would run afoul of the anti-discrimination provisions of E-Verify. Therefore, it’s important for employers to remember that E-Verify can only be used for new hires (or existing employees pursuant to FAR rules) once an offer has been extended and accepted and an I-9 form has been completed. As always, implementing training and clear policies are vital to ensure compliance with these changing rules.

http://www.electronici9.com/data-security/e-verify-self-check-goes-live-on-march-18-2011/

[Zero Sum 305]

Awesome!

Hope its widely used and used every time.

[peejay 327]

Awesome!

Hope its widely used and used every time.

This system was promised back in 1986 in exchange for the first of 7 subsequent illegal alien amnesties.

After millions more illegal aliens later you can see...Teddy Kennedy and his accomplices lied. They have lied and continue to lie to the American people.

The system still is not mandatory nationwide. Until it is these gestures are just farts in the wind.

[Zero Sum 305]

There sure is a lot of wind, just don't get chocked up with the smell.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Good.

Let the people have the same access to the system that employers have.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Oh the notice is very interesting!

STORAGE:

Records in this system are stored

electronically, on magnetic disc, tape,

digital media, and CD–ROM. All

personal information entered by the

individual as part of the IdP process and

any questions that might have been

generated by the third party data IdP are

deleted at the end of the session.

Nothing is stored or retained in E-Verify

Self Check. Only the transaction

number, the reason for failure, the date

and time of the transaction, and error

code are retained to facilitate

troubleshooting and system

management. Because the IdP accesses

an individual’s credit history to perform

the authentication, it will retain audits

of the individual’s E-Verify Self Check

inquiry to comply with legal

obligations, specifically, the FCRA. The

FCRA requires that an inquiry be noted

in the individual’s credit record.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I want to see if I am eligible to retire.

[mawilson 2,133]

It probably uses your credit history to "generate a minimum of 2 knowledge-based questions that only the individual would be able to answer" based on your social.

Such as

In 2007, you applied for a car loan. What was your monthly payment:

A. $294

B. $459

C. $692

D. $1011

[peejay 327]

Sure, E-verify would do some good. So would Social Security no match. It is no secret that there are thousands using the same number and thousands using non existing numbers. The Social Security Administration has no enforcement mandate with any teeth. Until there are sanctions for this lawlessness any insincere gestures that the political classes and bureaucrats put forth to pacify the masses are more farts in the wind.

We put a men on the moon, sent probes to Mars, and won WWII...but we can't keep illegal aliens from working illegally in our own country when we have millions of Americans unemployed and underemployed? How gullible are you?