The new Employee Verification law, E-Verify, went into effect for the state of Georgia on July 1, 2012, stating that all employers with 100 or more employees must participate in the E-Verify program and shall verify every new hire after that date. As of July 1, 2013, all employers with 10 or more employees are required to participate. Penalties and fines are levied for non-participation.
To comply, all employers are required to submit information from the I-9 form to the Government to be screened by the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security verifying that the new hire is permitted to work in the United States
U.S. law requires companies to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization.
E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. E-Verify is fast, free and easy to use – and it’s the best way employers can comply with the requirements of the law. In short, information taken from a new hire's Form I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification Form) is submitted through E-Verify to the Social Security Administration and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to determine employment eligibility.
Many payroll services provide the verification service. Otherwise, the E-Verify website will walk you through the registration and verification process.
E-Verify website: www.uscis.gov/E-Verify