Remote Work Verification Allowed for New Hires Under DHS Rule

Friday July 21, 2023
×Close
Employers will get a permanent option for verifying employment eligibility remotely beginning Aug. 1 under new Homeland Security Department regulations. The rule was released Friday ahead of the Aug. 30 expiration of temporary, Covid-19 era flexibility for employment verification. Companies that have used that option for the past three years have scrambled in recent weeks to review documents in-person for employees hired remotely during the pandemic. The option will only be available to employers in good standing in the federal electronic E-Verify system, in part because DHS lacks data to assess the impact of I-9 flexibility during the pandemic. The regulations require participating employers to examine copies of I-9 documents within three days of a worker’s start date, have a live video interaction with the worker to ensure the documents appear to be genuine, and check a box on the I-9 form indicating a remote process was used. All hires must complete an I-9, regardless of immigration or citizenship status. Acceptable documents to establish identity and work authorization include a passport, permanent resident card, drivers license, or Social Security card—and employers must inspect those documents for authenticity. The new rule—set to be published in Federal Register July 25—only covers new employees hired after the option takes effect on Aug. 1 and won’t apply retroactively. It follows a 2021 executive order directing agencies to take actions that reduce administrative burdens and improve efficiency and effectiveness of government operations.   https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/remote-work-verification-allowed-for-new-hires-under-dhs-rule  
Upcoming Webinars
VIEW ALL

Related News

VIEW ALL
Texas Service Center to Begin Processing Form I-129 for L Visas

On February 12, 2018, the Texas Service Center (TSC) will begin processing certain Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker petitions for L nonimmigrant classification, also known as L visas. The TSC will share this workload with the California Service Center to balance workloads and to provide flexibility as USCIS works towards improving processing times […]

White House prepares new immigration limits, using coronavirus as cover

The Trump administration is preparing to roll out another set of restrictions on legal immigration, citing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, even as it argues for the reopening of the US economy, according to sources familiar with the deliberations. Despite a push from President Donald Trump to move past the pandemic, the administration is continuing to usher […]

Controversial USCIS Memo Draws Major H-1B Lawsuit

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a controversial memo designed to make it difficult (some say “impossible”) for professionals in H-1B status to provide services at the site of their employer’s customers.