Immigration

The New Kind of I-9 I.D. You Must Accept

08/18/2008

U.S.

employers must begin accepting the government’s new wallet-sized passport card—a portable alternative to the traditional passport book—as an acceptable document for completing Form I-9s, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced. Here’s what you need to know about this new form of I.D.

O’Hare immigrant workers file back-Wages suit

08/13/2008

A group of temporary ground workers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport has filed an unpaid wages lawsuit against eight companies, including its employment agency, Ideal Staffing Solutions of Bensenville.

Colorado in standoff with feds over immigration enforcement

08/05/2008

Colorado is one of a handful of holdouts in the battle between federal and state governments over verifying the status of immigrant workers. The U.S. Department of Labor’s “guidance letter” issued in November 2007 directed labor departments in 12 states to verify farm workers’ eligibility before allowing them to enter the workforce …

Plant owners—And managers—Charged with employing illegals

08/04/2008

The owners and three managers of Action Rags USA, a used clothing plant in Houston, have been charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants and inducing illegal immigrants to come to the United States …

4 supervisors arrested after ICE raids S.C. poultry plant

07/25/2008

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested four supervisors at the House of Raeford Farms poultry plant in Greenville, S.C. …

I-9 enforcement focuses on criminal arrests, smaller firms

07/22/2008

In the past few years, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has focused its enforcement efforts mainly at large-scale immigration raids at big companies. Now that ICE has more trained officers and better coordination with other federal and state agencies, it’s targeting more small businesses, too …

The HR I.Q. Test: August ’08

07/17/2008

Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

DOL can pursue visa pay violations even without a complaint

07/09/2008

Here’s a word of warning to employers that hire workers from overseas to fill critical jobs: A federal court has ruled that the DOL can investigate alleged violations of the H-1A visa program’s equal-pay requirements, even if no particular employee has complained. The ruling may mean more employers will find DOL investigators on their doorsteps …

Can we ask applicants about their immigration sponsorship and legal status?

07/08/2008

Q. I was recently reviewing an employment application submitted by a candidate for an open position. Can we lawfully ask whether the candidate requires immigration sponsorship in order to obtain authorization to work for our company? …

Federal Contractors Must Use E-Verify to Confirm Worker Eligibility

06/10/2008

Employers doing business with Uncle Sam will soon have to begin using the government’s E-Verify Internet-based employment eligibility verification system. Critics say the system is already inaccurate and overburdened. If you’re a federal government contractor, you need to know about this big change. If you’re just generally concerned about increasingly complex employment eligibility rules, we’ve got the info you need.