If you are a Florida employer, you could be breaking the law and not even know it. Under federal law every employer, no matter how big or small, must have an I-9 form on file for every employee within 3 days of being hired if the employee was hired after 1986.
The I-9 form provides proof that your employee is entitled to work in the United States. That means that he or she must be a citizen or have a valid work authorization. If you fail to correctly document employment eligibility, you could be subject to civil and possibly criminal penalties. This responsibility has recently become most important for those businesses with federal contracts.
The attorneys at Kurzban Kurzban Weinger Tetzeli and Pratt P.A. regularly consult with employers throughout Florida and the United States to educate and help small businesses, partnerships and corporations stay in compliance with federal law. If you have been found noncompliant, our attorneys are ready to provide aggressive defense and legal remedies.
Contact us today for an initial consultation about your I-9 compliance and immigration forms concerns.
I-9 Compliance
In order to be compliant, you must capture the following information on every I-9 document, including:
- Name
- Address
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
The employer must also verify the employee's right to work in the United States. An employee may provide a document that encompasses both employment and identity (e.g. U.S. Passport or "green card"), or a document of identity (e.g. driver's license) and a document of employment (e.g. social security card). You must make sure the I-9 form is filled out completely and kept on file. The attorneys at Kurzban Kurzban Weinger Tetzeli and Pratt, P.A., are experienced in auditing employer’s compliance with employment verification and educating employers on I-9 compliance to safeguard against civil and criminal penalties for honest mistakes.
E-Verify
Congress has recently enacted legislation to make electronic verification of employment a permanent system in the United States. An employer can now verify his employee’s immigration status by checking with an electronic verification database. This “E-verify” process allows the employer to sign up for an account on the E-Verify website to electronically verify an employee's eligibility status. If you are a federal contractor or subcontractor you are now required to use E-Verify The E-verify system however has many flaws and the process is difficult to navigate. The lawyers at our firm work closely with employers to audit and to manage their E-verify compliance.
For help with the many technical aspects of immigration forms and employment eligibility verification, contact the immigration law attorneys at Kurzban Kurzban Weinger Tetzeli and Pratt P. A. in Jacksonville and Miami, Florida. We work proactively to help you avoid the fines and potential criminal liability that may arise from failure to comply with employment verification. If your I-9 forms are audited by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the Department of Labor (DOL), we will be glad to consult with you to minimize any harm to the business and to avoid future violations.
Contact our attorneys for your initial consultation on any immigration issue. Our immigration lawyers are based in Jacksonville and Miami, Florida. We serve clients from Miami to Los Angeles, and the whole world, including clients from Europe, North, Central and South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
