Punishing Employers: ICE has a Renewed Commitment
The strategy is a 2-pronged approach. It includes aggressive criminal and civil penalties against employers who knowingly violate immigration laws, and continues to implement programs such as E-Verify (verifies employment eligibility to work in the United States) and IMAGE.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
I-9s and Independent Contractors – What You Need To Know
Responsible business executives and HR managers must take affirmative steps to ensure that their own verification procedures, as well as those of the contractors they use, are in order, and remain vigilant for any signs of non-compliance. This will help to minimize their risk and avoid costly fines, embarrassing PR and in some cases criminal prosecution.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
The Key to Immigration Compliance – Know Your Workforce
ICE agents use many tools to conduct these worksite enforcement investigations, among them ICE’s Forensic Documents Laboratory, which determines the authenticity of documents used to establish employment eligibility. ICE also works with the private sector to educate employers about their responsibilities to hire only authorized workers and how to accurately verify employment eligibility.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
Avoid an Immigration Audit – Steps You Can Take
Are there steps you can take to avoid an immigration audit? Employment is usually the primary motivating factor for individuals to reside in the U.S. illegally. The purpose of the employment eligibility verification laws is to remove the incentive to illegally reside and work in the U.S. by requiring employers to hire only individuals who may legally work in this country.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
What You Don’t Know Could Be Costly – Eligibility Verification
The forms can be confusing and difficult to complete, and employers often make mistakes that cost their companies thousands of dollars in penalties and sanctions, and even criminal prosecution. Federal immigration officials or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may ask a company to produce accurate I-9 records and failure to do so constitutes a violation.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
Increasing Form I-9 Penalties For Employers
The law requires employers to protect our national heritage of legal immigration and to preserve jobs for those who are legally entitled to them. The law also prohibits any discrimination on the basis of foreign appearance, language or name. There are serious civil and criminal penalties for employers who violate the law.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
When Hiring Employees – Complying With Immigration Law
Last July, the federal government issued over 500 notices to businesses, informing them that they would be audited by the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) for compliance with immigration law. In one month, ICE performed more audits than it did all last year. In November, the Department of Homeland Security announced that another 1000 companies would be sent audit notices by ICE that month.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
http://www.youradvocate.net/articles/032410.pdf
ICE Confirms Deadline For Correcting Paperwork Errors
ICE categorizes I-9 errors into two groups: substantive verification failures and technical or procedural verification failures. Substantive errors arise when, for example, Section 2 of the form is not signed or when an employee fails to indicate his or her citizenship status. These errors are not subject to the 10-day correction period and an employer found in violation could face significant penalties.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
ICE Confirms Deadline For Correcting Paperwork Errors
Although only one page, compliance with form I-9 can be deceptively difficult. But meticulous compliance with the form’s requirements is essential to avoiding significant penalties down the road. To that end, employers should train the employees who administer the I-9 process. A good starting point includes requiring those employees to be familiar with the Handbook for Employers: Instructions for Completing Form I-9. The Handbook provides step-by-step instructions for completing the Form I-9 and can be found at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Web site: http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/m-274.pdf. Prudent employers will also audit their existing I-9s to make sure they identify and address mistakes.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
There is Still Lots of ICE to Come
By whatever method ICE is tipped off, the results are the same – a worksite inspection of I-9 Forms that will most likely end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars in fines and penalties. It will also cost your business many hours of lost productivity for HR employees and company executives dealing with the demands of the inspection, not to mention it is a public relations nightmare.
W. Garnett & Associates
Human Capital Management
1-888-884-3910
