It is the responsibility of employers to verify if an applicant is authorized to work in the United States.
Employment verification is part of the due diligence that every employer needs to undertake for job hiring. In addition to conducting personal background check and criminal background checks, employers also need to verify employment papers for immigrants.
Employment verification for immigrants is easy. All that an employer needs to do is to ask the applicant to furnish a copy of the "employment authorization card." Only applicant's who have this card are authorized to work in the United States. In addition, the employer also needs to determine the length of employment authorization.
Employers need to understand the different immigrant visas. Only some visas such as the J visa and the H visa allow an applicant to work. The F or the student visa allows an applicant to work only for 20 hours a week. Employers need to be aware of this information to ease job screening.
These days, employers can also do employment verification online. All that employers need to conduct the employment screening is the applicant's social security card. With the social security number, the employer can check if the applicant is authorized to work in the United States.
The applicant's social security information can also be used to conduct social security background check on an applicant. In fact, a social security trace is one of the best ways to determine whether an applicant has an alias. Also, social security background checks are the most effective way to search for criminal records.
Employers need to complete a Form I-9 as part of the employment verification process. The form needs to be completed three days after the applicant is hired. The employee must fill in his or her name, address, birth date, and Social Security number for employment verification.
As a lot of information is available online, employment verification can also be done. However, even if it is done online, employers need to submit the form I-9.
Pre employment assessment is becoming increasingly common as a part of the job screening process. This is being done by companies in part to prevent law suits that may arise due to negligent hiring practices.
