THE PRACTICES AND OPINIONS OF 

EMPLOYERS WHO DO NOT 

PARTICIPATE IN E-VERIFY 

December 2010 

Report Submitted to: 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

Washington, DC 

Prepared by: 

Westat 

Rockville, Maryland

CONTENTS 

Chapter Page

 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................. ix 

I. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................. 1 

1. Introduction and Purpose of the Study................................................ 1

2. Description of the E-Verify Program.................................................. 2

3. Terminology and Data Sources........................................................... 3

4. Report Organization............................................................................ 3 

II. METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................... 5 

1. Context for the Study.......................................................................... 5

2. Survey Sampling................................................................................. 5

3. Questionnaire Design and Development ............................................ 7 

3.1. Selection of Questions for the Survey................................. 7

3.2. Stakeholders Meeting.......................................................... 7

3.3. Pre-Testing of the Draft Paper Survey ................................ 8

3.4. Creation and Testing of the Final Survey Instruments........ 8 

4. Data Collection and Analysis ............................................................. 9 

4.1. Staff Training ...................................................................... 9

4.2. Data Collection.................................................................... 10 

5. Response Rates and Statistical Reliability.......................................... 12

6. Focus Groups ...................................................................................... 13

7. Data Limitations ................................................................................. 14

III. EMPLOYERS’ DECISIONS ON PARTICIPATING IN E-VERIFY ............ 17 

1. Introduction......................................................................................... 17

2. Lack of Familiarity as a Barrier to Participating in E-Verify ............. 17

2.1. What is the Level of Familiarity?........................................ 17

2.2. What Employer Characteristics are Related to Familiarity 

With E-Verify?.................................................................... 18

2.3. How Did Employers Hear About E-Verify?....................... 20

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify iii 
CONTENTS 

CONTINUED 

 iv The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

Chapter Page

3. Barriers to Using E-Verify for Employers That are Familiar 

With It................................................................................................. 21

3.1. Reasons Nonusers Gave for Not Participating.................... 21

3.2. Relationship Between Reasons for Not Using E-Verify 

and Employer Characteristics ............................................. 25 

4. Plans to Use E-Verify in the Future.................................................... 27

5. Characteristics of Nonusers ................................................................ 29

5.1. How Do Nonusers Differ From Users?............................... 29

5.2. Other Employer Characteristics That Have Implications 

for Participation in E-Verify ............................................... 31

IV. IMPLICATIONS OF SIGNING UP FOR E-VERIFY FOR NONUSERS.... 35

1. Introduction......................................................................................... 35

2. Description of Current Nonuser Verification Procedures................... 35

2.1. Use of the Form I-9............................................................. 35

2.2. Alternative Procedures for Employment Verification......... 37

2.3. Who is Verified? ................................................................. 37 

3. Impact of E-Verify on Current Nonuser Procedures .......................... 39

3.1. Resources ............................................................................ 39

3.2. Process ................................................................................ 40

V. OPINIONS ON A MANDATORY E-VERIFY AND POSSIBLE 

 PROGRAM CHANGES.................................................................................. 43

1. Introduction......................................................................................... 43

2. Mandating Participation in E-Verify .................................................. 43

2.1. Support or Opposition for Mandating Participation............ 43

2.2. Relationship Between Support/Opposition and Employer 

Characteristics..................................................................... 46

2.3. Other Opinions About E-Verify.......................................... 46

3. Possible Program Changes.................................................................. 48

4. Changes to Employers’ Current Practices .......................................... 50
CONTENTS 

CONTINUED 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify v 

Chapter Page

VI. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................. 51 

1. Introduction......................................................................................... 51

2. Summary of Findings.......................................................................... 51

2.1. Familiarity With E-Verify................................................... 51

2.2. Barriers to Using E-Verify .................................................. 51

2.3. Current Verification Procedures.......................................... 52

2.4. Opinions on a Mandatory E-Verify or Internet Verification 

Program............................................................................... 52

2.5 Potential Changes to E-Verify ............................................ 52

3. Recommendations............................................................................... 53

3.1. Awareness of E-Verify........................................................ 53

3.2. Other Barriers to Participation ............................................ 53

3.3. Changes to E-Verify............................................................ 53

3.4. Mandatory Participation...................................................... 53

Appendix Page

A STATUS OF STATE LEGISLATION RELATED TO E-VERIFY 

 AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2010........................................................................ A-1 

B SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES ...................................................................... B-1 

Exhibits

II-1 Survey Sample Size and Mail Return, by Stratum ................................................. 10

II-2 Results of Data Collection Efforts.......................................................................... 12

II-3 Web Survey Sample Size and Response Rate, by Stratum .................................... 13

III-1 Whether Employer Was Previously Familiar With the E-Verify Program ............ 18

III-2 Percent of Respondents Showing Familiarity With E-Verify, by Employer 

Size......................................................................................................................... 19

III-3 Percent of Respondents Showing Familiarity With E-Verify, by Industry Type... 19

III-4 How Nonusers Familiar With E-Verify Found Out About the Program................ 20
CONTENTS 

CONTINUED 

 vi The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

Exhibits Page

III-5 Reasons Nonusers Who Are Familiar With E-Verify Are Not Using It ................ 22

III-6 Reasons Employers Do Not Participate in E-Verify, by Employer Size................ 26

III-7 Reasons Employers Do Not Participate in E-Verify, by Industry.......................... 27

III-8 Does This Company Plan to Use E-Verify in the Future? ..................................... 28

III-9 Percent of All Employers Nationally and Percent of E-Verify Users, 

by Employer Size ................................................................................................... 29 

III-10 Percent of All Employers Nationally and Percent of E-Verify Users, 

by Industry.............................................................................................................. 30

III-11 Percent of Current Workers Who Are Lawful Premanent Residents or Other 

Noncitizens, as Reported by Employers................................................................. 31

III-12 Single or Multiple Location Status of Case Study Participants.............................. 32

III-13 Number of New Workers Hired by Case Study Participants in 2008 .................... 32

III-14 Number of Short-Term or Temporary Workers Hired in 2008 by Case Study 

Participants ............................................................................................................. 33

III-15 Percent of Nonusers Reporting Even Hiring Throughout the Year or Hiring at 

Specific Times in a Typical Year ........................................................................... 33

IV-1 Where Is the Form I-9 Completed?........................................................................ 35

IV-2 Do You Currently Use Any Form of Electronic I-9? ............................................. 36

IV-3 When in the Hiring Process is the Form I-9 Completed?....................................... 36

IV-4 Employers’ Current Verification Procedures ......................................................... 37

IV-5 Which Types of Workers Are Verified for Work Authorization?.......................... 38

IV-6 Definition Used for “Newly Hired Employee” ...................................................... 38

IV-7 Number of Newly Hired Employees Not Found Work Authorized During 

2008, as Reported by Nonuser Survey Respondents.............................................. 39 

IV-8 Time Spent Verifying Each New Employee’s Work Authorization ...................... 39
CONTENTS 

CONTINUED 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify vii 

Exhibits Page

V-1 Level of Support for Making Participation in E-Verify Mandatory....................... 43 

V-2 Percent of Nonusers Favoring a Mandatory Internet Verification Program, 

by Employer Characteristics .................................................................................. 46 

V-3 Case Study Participants’ Opinions on E-Verify in General ................................... 47

V-4 Case Study Participants’ Level of Support for Possible New Features of 

E-Verify.................................................................................................................. 49 

V-5 What Would Improve the Task of Verifying Employment Authorization of 

Workers .................................................................................................................. 50
The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify viii

 
The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify ix 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

E-Verify, formerly titled the Basic Pilot Program, is an Internet-based program that allows participating 

employers to electronically verify the work-authorization status of new hires. After employers enter data 

from the Form I-9 into E-Verify, the data are compared electronically with data in Social Security 

Administration records and in Department of Homeland Security immigration records. Typically (96.9 

percent of queries in July through September 2008) employees are automatically confirmed as work 

authorized either immediately or within 24 hours, requiring no employee or employer action.1

 If problems 

are found, then employers are required to notify workers and give them an opportunity to contest the 

initial finding. 

Past surveys of E-Verify users have shown high levels of satisfaction. However, as of 2009, less than 

3 percent of all employers in the United States participate in E-Verify. Many policymakers have looked 

for ways to reduce unauthorized employment, including State law mandates to participate in E-Verify for 

all employers (in Arizona and Mississippi) or selected groups of employers (in 11 states and in the 

Federal government, which requires participation by certain Federal contractors). This study was 

designed to determine why employers do not participate in E-Verify, what factors they desire in E-Verify, 

and what they think about a mandatory program. 

This report presents the results of a nationwide survey of nonusers—i.e., companies that have never 

signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to participate in E-Verify. The response rate was too 

low to provide reliable national estimates; however, several broad patterns can be detected from the 511 

respondents if the survey is treated as a case study. Therefore, this report treats the results as a case study 

and supplements the survey of nonusers with results from focus groups of additional nonusers. 

The principal barrier to participation in E-Verify appears to be a lack of awareness of the Program. 

Among the case study participants, 63 percent were not familiar with E-Verify. Case study participants 

were often positive about the characteristics of E-Verify, and among the 101 who answered a question 

concerning their future plans, 23 percent definitely planned to participate in E-Verify in the future (while 

32 percent would not participate unless mandated to do so). For those employers who have heard of EVerify, the information often came from nongovernmental sources such as professional organizations. 

The other primary reasons for not participating were not perceiving a benefit from participating, and 

thinking it would be too costly or time-consuming to participate. The perception of burden is based in 

part on employers’ reported negative experiences with other government Internet-based programs (such 

as the Social Security Administration/Business Services Online Website). 

The case study participants supported many program changes to E-Verify, with the most popular 

including the increased use of technology to identify fraudulent documents and to verify identity, 

allowing a formal appeal by an employer and/or employee of a final case finding, and allowing 

verification of job applicants before a job decision is made. 

 

1

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextchannel=a16988e60a405110VgnVCM10000047

18190aRCRD&vgnextoid=f82d8557a487a110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD. 
Executive Summary 

 x The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

The case study participants generally opposed creating a mandatory program for all employers, 

particularly for small business owners. A substantial minority said they lacked sufficient resources to 

participate, with about one-fourth of the case study participants saying they did not have staff with 

sufficient skills available and about one-tenth of small businesses saying they lacked computers with an 

Internet connection or their connection was very slow. E-Verify may have less impact on employment 

for very small businesses, which often reported that they rarely hired new employees and had no 

noncitizens as employees. 

Westat recommends that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services explore ways of increasing 

awareness of E-Verify, including through alternative sources such as nongovernmental organizations. 

Also, participation in E-Verify might be increased by adopting some of the program changes supported by 

employers, recognizing that these changes must be weighed against potentially competing priorities (such 

as privacy and discrimination concerns) and can only be implemented if legally authorized and 

technically feasible, and by addressing the perceptions of a lack of benefit from the Program and the 

perceived burden. A mandatory program appears necessary if the desire is to get all employers to 

participate; however, substantial increases in participation appear possible without a mandate. Based on 

the input for this study, a mandatory program may be burdensome for some employers. 
Executive Summary

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify xi 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 1 

CHAPTER I. BACKGROUND 

1. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This report is part of a multi-year evaluation of the E-Verify Program and presents the results of a survey 

and focus groups of nonusers (employers that do not participate in E-Verify) conducted in 2009. The 

multi-year evaluation has previously focused on E-Verify users via surveys, focus groups, and reviews of 

transaction data with the purpose of identifying problems that employers experience with E-Verify and 

potential changes to improve the accuracy and ease of use of the Program. 

In recent years, policymakers have given widespread attention to reducing unauthorized employment, in 

part by increasing participation in E-Verify. E-Verify has rapidly expanded on a proportional basis in the 

last two years as the result of the increased outreach by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

(USCIS) on the benefits of participation, public awareness surrounding the question of immigration, and 

consideration of state legislation requiring employers to use the E-Verify system. However, except in 

Arizona, which recently mandated participation for all employers within the state, relatively few 

employers participate in E-Verify.2 As of the writing of this report, there are approximately 237,000 

employers enrolled in E-Verify out of an estimated 6.7 million private sector employers in the United 

States, or 4 percent of all employers.3 Because larger employers were more likely to participate in EVerify than small employers, E-Verify covered a greater proportion of new hires than might be expected 

from the employer statistics alone; in April through June 2008, 11.7 percent of new hires were verified 

through E-Verify, an increase from 1.3 percent in April through June 2005.4

There have been activities to increase participation in the Program. USCIS has several types of outreach 

to provide information to employers about E-Verify. There is currently interest on the part of Congress to 

expand the current program and possibly institute mandatory employment verification for all or a 

substantial percentage of the Nation’s employers. Thirteen states have already passed legislation to 

mandate use of the Program for some or all of their employers,5

 four states have enacted legislation 

influencing the use of E-Verify, 6

 and 14 states have pending legislation that would require at least some 

employers to use E-Verify7

 (see Appendix A). Effective January 1, 2008, the Legal Arizona Workers Act 

mandated the use of E-Verify for all employers in Arizona.8

 A recent initiative to implement such a 

 

2

 A separate study of the mandated participation in Arizona is planned for release later in 2010. 

3

 USCIS, Verification Division, E-Verify Weekly Report, December 4, 2010, and BLS Business Employment Dynamics: First Quarter, 2010, 

November 18, 2010, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cewbd.pdf. Some E-Verify participants are public rather than private employers. 

4

 Findings of the E-Verify Program Evaluation, December 2009, p. 78. 

5

 For one of these 13 states, Virginia, the law goes into effect December 1, 2012. 

6

 An example of legislation that influences the use of E-Verify is that Tennessee does not mandate participation, but it allows an employer to use 

its registration with E-Verify as a defense if it is charged with knowingly hiring an unauthorized alien. All four cases of legislation influencing 

the use of E-Verify are described in Appendix A. 

7

 Four additional states with legislation mandating E-Verify for some of its employers also have pending legislation to expand the use of E-Verify 

for other employers. 

8

 The Legal Arizona Workers Act, as amended, prohibits businesses from knowingly or intentionally hiring an “unauthorized alien” after 

December 31, 2007. Under the statute, an “unauthorized alien” is defined as “an alien who does not have the legal right or authorization under 

Federal law to work in the United States.” The law also requires employers in Arizona to use the E-Verify system (a free Web-based service 
I Background 

 2 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

program includes Executive Order 12989, as amended by President George W. Bush on June 6, 2008, 

which directs Federal agencies to require that Federal contractors and their subcontractors electronically 

verify the employment eligibility of their employees. The amended Executive Order reinforces the 

policy, first announced in 1996, that the Federal government does business with employers that have a 

legal workforce. The rule will only affect Federal contractors who are awarded a new contract on or after 

September 8, 2009, that includes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify clause (73 FR 

67704).9

 

Given the variety of activities undertaken to increase participation in E-Verify, the survey of nonusers 

was designed to better understand: 

• The needs, characteristics, and opinions of current nonusers in order to determine why they 

do not currently use E-Verify; 

• What impact the Form I-9 employment verification system currently has on these employers; 

• What modifications of E-Verify would make it more appealing to employers; and 

• What the employers’ opinions are concerning a mandatory program. 

It is hoped that this information will be helpful in forming future legislation and administrative 

procedures related to employment verification programs. 

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE E-VERIFY PROGRAM

E-Verify, formerly titled the Basic Pilot Program, was originally mandated under the Illegal Immigration 

Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA) to electronically verify the workauthorization status of new hires of participating employers. Its authorization has been extended several 

times since then, and the Program has been expanded in scope and modified considerably. 

All workers hired after November 6, 1986, along with their employers, are required to complete the Form 

I-9, which is used to certify that new hires are authorized to work in the United States. As part of this 

process employers also examine documents such as U.S. passports or driver’s licenses that are evidence 

of the worker’s identity and/or work authorization. 

E-Verify provides a Web component so that participating employers can quickly verify their new hires’ 

statuses. In order to participate, employers must sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreeing 

to comply with all of the E-Verify requirements. After employers enter data from the Form I-9 into EVerify, the data for all new hires are compared electronically with data in Social Security Administration 

(SSA) records, and data from noncitizens are also compared with data in Department of Homeland 

 

offered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security) to verify the employment authorization of all new employees hired after December 31, 

2007. 

9

 See USCIS Web site: 

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=534bbd181e09d110VgnVCM1000004718190

aRCRD&vgnextchannel=534bbd181e09d110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD. 
Background I

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 3 

Security (DHS) immigration records. 10 Most often employers receive immediate notification that the new 

hires are authorized to work; however, in some cases Federal records do not permit immediate 

confirmation of the worker’s employment-authorization status. When the government cannot immediately 

confirm that the worker is authorized to work, a Tentative Nonconfirmation (TNC) is issued. A TNC 

might indicate that a person is not authorized to work, but it also might occur for other reasons such as 

typographical errors when entering the data or a worker not registering a name change with Social 

Security or USCIS. Employers are required to inform workers about TNCs and give them an opportunity 

to contest these findings by contacting SSA in person or USCIS by telephone or fax and resolving any 

problems. If a worker fails to contact SSA or USCIS within 10 Federal workdays, the E-Verify system 

issues a Final Nonconfirmation (FNC) finding and employers are expected to promptly terminate the 

worker’s employment. 

3. TERMINOLOGY AND DATA SOURCES

When discussing results from the survey of nonusers, this report uses three terms largely interchangeably. 

The primary term used is case study participants; this term was chosen to emphasize that the text 

discusses the 511 particular employers who responded to the survey (or some subset who responded to a 

specific question), and that the percentages for these particular employers may not correspond to the 

percentages that would be found in the Nation overall. Because the phrase is somewhat awkward, the 

report also uses the terms employers and nonusers (depending on the context) as shorter ways of referring 

to the same respondents. 

In addition to the survey statistics, this report also includes quotations or summaries of verbal comments 

by employers who do not participate in E-Verify. These quotations were taken either from the three focus 

groups that were conducted with employers or from the survey respondents, who sometimes were asked 

to provide open-ended responses about particular topics. 

Some data on the characteristics of all employers in the United States are based on data provided by Dunn 

& Bradstreet, which maintains a national database of companies and which provided the data used to 

select the survey sample. The statistics reflect the particular way that eligible employers were defined for 

this study, and may not always correspond to other national statistics on employers. In particular, the 

Dunn & Bradstreet statistics exclude companies with only one employee (such companies were not 

considered to be employers because Dunn & Bradstreet lists the owner as an employee in single-person 

companies) and branches of an employer (since the survey was sent only to the headquarters and to firms 

with only a single location). 

This report sometimes presents data on employer characteristics, such as employers’ industry types and 

employer size. Data on employer characteristics are based on two sources: the employer’s own responses 

(i.e., survey question C1 covered industry types, and survey question C3 covered employer size) and data 

from the sampling frame. Where possible, the employers’ responses were used because these data were 

considered to be the most accurate and up-to-date. However, if the employers did not respond to the 

survey questions (or, in the case of employer size, if they indicated that the sampling frame data were 

correct), then the sampling frame data were used. 

 

10 In some cases, data on naturalized citizens may also be compared with DHS and U.S. passport records. 
I Background 

 4 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

When providing statistics on employers who participate in E-Verify, this report presents data from a 

separate earlier report, Findings of the E-Verify Program Evaluation, December 2009.11 Such data are 

either survey statistics, which are weighted to represent the total number of eligible E-Verify users in the 

Nation, or from the E-Verify transaction or employer databases. The survey statistics are based on 2,320 

respondents who represent 12,485 employers participating in E-Verify (with certain rules used to specify 

employers who were eligible for the survey). That survey, which received a weighted response rate of 84 

percent, provides reliable and nationally representative estimates concerning employers that use the EVerify Program. 

4. REPORT ORGANIZATION

The report is organized into six sections. Chapter I provides background on the study. Chapter II 

discusses the study methodology. Chapter III addresses the reasons employers choose not to participate 

in E-Verify. It describes the level of familiarity of nonusers with E-Verify, how nonusers who are 

familiar with the Program learned about it, what barriers to using E-Verify are reported by those nonusers 

who are familiar with it, nonusers’ plans to use E-Verify in the future, and how nonusers differ from EVerify users. Chapter IV describes the implications for nonusers of signing up for E-Verify, discusses 

their current verification procedures, and assesses the impact of participating in E-Verify. Chapter V 

summarizes nonusers’ opinions on mandatory participation in E-Verify and on possible program changes. 

Chapter VI provides conclusions and recommendations for USCIS based on the findings in the previous 

sections. Appendix A provides a table summarizing current state legislation related to E-Verify. 

Appendix B contains the survey data collection instruments. 

The report presents descriptive statistics from the nonuser survey. Nonuser focus group discussion and 

nonuser survey open-ended comments provide qualitative information on the perspectives of nonusers. 

Generally, data presented in the report are from the nonuser survey; however, where possible, they are 

supplemented with information from the focus groups, and this is noted in the text. 

This report often presents quotations from those who were surveyed or interviewed. Some of the 

employers’ comments reflect misunderstandings about E-Verify or the work authorization process, and 

some of the employers indicated following procedures that are in violation of current regulations. Westat 

did not attempt to correct the employers during the interviews since making corrections might have made 

them less willing to offer their opinions. The opinions are presented here because employers’ perceptions 

are important to those seeking to increase participation in E-Verify regardless of whether the opinions are 

accurate. Employers were promised confidentiality when they were surveyed or interviewed, and the 

comments have been edited to remove identifying information. 

 

11 The report can be found at: 

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3a351e56d3856210VgnVCM100000082ca

60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=75bce2e261405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD
The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 5 

CHAPTER II. METHODOLOGY 

This chapter describes the research methodology used for this study. 

1. CONTEXT FOR THE STUDY

The survey of nonusers was one component of a large, multi-year, and multimodal evaluation of 

E-Verify. The full evaluation included the following: 

• Discussions with stakeholders at a meeting in Arizona in March 2009; 

• Focus groups of employers, including those who were not using E-Verify; 

• Surveys of employers that participated in the E-Verify Program; 

• Surveys of employers that had not enrolled in the E-Verify Program; 

• National onsite interviews and observation of employers, and separate onsite interviews and 

observations of employers in Arizona; 

• Interviews of workers who received E-Verify Tentative Nonconfirmations (TNCs); 

• Reviews of worker verification records; 

• Analyses of E-Verify transaction and employer databases; and 

• Other Federal data sources. 

2. SURVEY SAMPLING

The first stage in sampling was to purchase a stratified nationally representative sample of 10,000 

businesses from Dunn & Bradstreet. 12 Based on instructions from Westat, Dunn & Bradstreet excluded 

all employers in Arizona (which adopted a statewide mandate to participate in E-Verify), all employers 

located in U.S. territories, all branches (i.e., Dunn & Bradstreet retained employers with a single location, 

headquarters of employers with multiple branches, and franchises, which can fall in either of the first two 

categories), all companies with only one employee (in such companies the owner was typically the 

employee), and all duplicate listings. The sample frame was stratified by industry sector and by 

employee size class. Westat drew a stratified sample of 3,819 employers. The stratification was designed 

to help ensure that the sample would include sufficient numbers of key employer characteristics in order 

 

12 Dunn & Bradstreet maintains a worldwide commercial database with more than 140 million business records. One of the principal sources of 

data on businesses, it continually updates the database to add new businesses and delete closed businesses. 
II Methodology 

 6 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

to permit statistical comparisons. Westat also drew a pre-selected reserve sample in case it would be 

needed to replace employers that were ineligible or refused to participate, but the reserve sample was 

never used for this purpose. The reserve sample was used later for selecting focus group participants. 

Three main industries were used for the purpose of stratification: 

• Employment agencies, temporary help services, and farm labor contractors—1,260 

employers; 

• Industries known to have relatively large percentages of undocumented workers—1,268 

employers;13 and 

• All other industries—1,291 employers. 

The first two categories represent classes of employers who are likely to have special needs or different 

experiences regarding E-Verify. For example, employment agencies and temporary help services may be 

asked to perform checks on work authorization by the employers that they support. Industries with large 

percentages of undocumented workers may face a greater likelihood of losing unauthorized workers and 

having fines imposed as a result of enforcement actions, and may have more difficulty finding alternative 

workers to hire. The stratification was designed to ensure that there would be a sufficient number of such 

respondents to provide reliable data. 

The second stratification variable was employer size. Within each of the three industry sectors, the 

sample of 3,819 employers was further divided into the following size subcategories: 

• Small—1,139 employers had 2 to 14 employees; 

• Medium—1,412 employers had 15 to 99 employees; and 

• Large—1,268 employers had 100 or more employees. 

Employer size was of interest because it may affect several aspects related to hiring, including an 

employer’s level of resources (e.g., whether an employer has a separate human resources department), the 

frequency of hiring (e.g., whether E-Verify needs to be relearned with each new hire), and the total 

volume of hiring (e.g., requiring a greater amount of data entry). 

The Dunn & Bradstreet data did not include information on employers’ E-Verify participation status, and 

the E-Verify database lacked a common identifier for merging with the Dunn & Bradstreet data. There 

was no attempt to remove E-Verify users from the Dunn & Bradstreet file, since less than 3 percent of 

U.S. employers participate in E-Verify. However, since large employers were over-sampled relative to 

 

13 These industries were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting, excluding farm labor contractors and crew leaders; Construction; Food 

Manufacturing; Services to Buildings and Dwellings; Food Services and Drinking Places; and Personal and Laundry Services. The definition 

of this category is based on the following report: Jeffrey S. Passel, Senior Demographer, Pew Hispanic Center, and D’Vera Cohn, Senior 

Writer, Pew Research Center, A Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States, 4.14.2009 

(http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=107). 
Methodology II

their frequency in the country, and large employers are more likely to participate in E-Verify, a slightly 

larger proportion of the sample (8 percent) than in the population ultimately were found to be ineligible 

because they were currently using or had participated in E-Verify. 

Additional employers also were found to be ineligible through a combination of data provided by Dunn & 

Bradstreet and obtained from the data collection process. After finding that many of the companies 

lacked any employees other than the owner, Westat obtained data from Dunn & Bradstreet on “cottage 

industries” (which are generally home-based businesses), and excluded all such companies as ineligible. 

Additional companies were removed because they were no longer in business, were duplicate listings, or 

had their headquarters outside of the United States. 

Of the 3,819 employers, 1,072 (28 percent) were ultimately found to be ineligible: 287 employers (8 

percent) were currently using E-Verify; 534 (14 percent) were no longer in business; 246 (6 percent) had 

no employees; and 5 (less than 1 percent) were a duplicate listing or had their headquarters outside of the 

United States. 

A table providing the numbers of employers within each stratum is provided later in this chapter as part of 

the discussion of response rates to the survey. 

3. QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

3.1. Selection of Questions for the Survey 

One source of survey questions was a survey of E-Verify participants conducted by Westat in 2008; it 

contained many questions about the processes that employers used to check on work authorization, 

opinions about the verification process and the mechanisms and rules that might aid the verification 

process, as well as questions on employer characteristics that were related to hiring policies. Using this 

survey of users as a primary source for the nonuser questionnaire facilitated making comparisons of 

responses between the two groups. 

The survey questionnaire was adapted by including questions of particular relevance to nonusers, 

including the respondent’s familiarity with the E-Verify Program and reasons why the employer did not 

participate. The following modifications were made during the design of the survey instrument: 

• Questions were added reflecting information obtained during a series of nonuser employer 

focus groups and early discussions with USCIS staff involved in administering or evaluating 

the E-Verify Program. 

• Questions designed to obtain additional insights into the special needs of nonuser employers 

and staffing and temporary help agencies were added. 

3.2. Stakeholders Meeting 

On March 9, 2009, Westat conducted a stakeholders meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The purpose of the 

meeting was to assist the Westat evaluation staff in prioritizing research topics for an evaluation of the EVerify Program in Arizona, following the recent adoption of a state requirement that all employers 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 7 
II Methodology 

participate in E-Verify. The issues discussed included how the E-Verify Program is working in Arizona, 

how the Program was implemented by various types of employers, and what challenges they encountered. 

Additionally, stakeholders were encouraged to share information about the Program that would be helpful 

to other states that are considering mandating use of E-Verify for their employers. 

The meeting had a different focus than the survey, since the stakeholders concentrated on users of 

E-Verify while the Web survey was for nonusers. However, information about employers’ concerns 

about E-Verify was used to help refine the survey questionnaire. 

3.3. Pre-Testing of the Draft Paper Survey 

The initial drafts of the different versions of the survey were pre-tested with small groups of employers to 

verify that questions were clear and the survey did not take an excessive amount of time to complete. The 

research team conducted six online focus groups using WebEx, a Web-hosting service for integrated 

teleconferencing. The survey was then modified based on input from the focus groups. (The six focus 

groups used for pre-testing of the questionnaire were separate from the three focus groups conducted after 

the survey was completed. It is the latter three focus groups that are frequently referenced in this report.) 

The pre-test was used to identify questions that respondents might misunderstand, areas in which 

respondents had difficulty obtaining answers, and topics of importance that had not been covered in the 

original questionnaire. Several small changes were made to the questionnaire as a result of the pre-test. 

In addition, a secondary but important finding of the pre-test was that employers were often reluctant to 

participate, even though a financial incentive was offered and even though it is often easier to recruit 

respondents for a pre-test than for a survey itself. Some of the reasons for the reluctance to participate 

appeared to be that employers were too busy or not interested, there was a company policy against 

participating in surveys, and there were scheduling difficulties. In addition, many employers were 

difficult to locate or contact, especially given the limited time available for scheduling the focus groups. 

3.4. Creation and Testing of the Final Survey Instruments 

Programming staff created an online version of the survey. The process used to develop the Web 

application was an iterative one. Research staff provided specifications for the survey. After programmers 

had created and tested the draft instrument, research staff tested the survey and requested changes to its 

appearance and functionality. Programmers made and tested the requested changes, which were then 

tested again by research staff. This process continued until both programming and research staff 

approved the survey for use. 

The following is a list of the features of the online survey: 

• Logins, passwords, and a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) were used to ensure limited access 

and data security. 

• Programmable conditional and skip logics were built in. Respondents were automatically 

navigated to the correct location in the survey based on their responses to prior questions so 

that employers were not asked irrelevant questions. 

 8 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Methodology II

• Validations and edits were designed to alert respondents to missed questions or inconsistent 

responses. 

• Respondents were able to save and close the survey and then return to the next unanswered 

question at any time before the survey was completed. 

• Different response formats such as “select one” and “select all” were allowed. Questions 

were formatted with all the standard input controls (i.e., drop-down boxes, text areas, text 

boxes, radio buttons, and check boxes). 

• Respondents were able to navigate back through the survey and change prior responses 

without data loss. 

• When respondents completed the survey, they were offered the opportunity to print a copy of 

their responses. This printed copy also informed them which questions were part of a skip 

pattern, as well as which ones had not been answered. 

• A receipt control module was built into the system to provide the evaluation team with 

information on response rates and other survey statuses. 

During the data collection process, it became apparent that many employers could not be reached or 

would not respond to the online survey. As an alternative, a hardcopy version of the questionnaire was 

created based on the hypotheses that (1) a mail survey may sometimes reach a respondent more 

effectively (given the difficulties that appeared when trying to make telephone or email contacts), (2) the 

use of FedEx might draw special attention to the survey, and (3) employers lacking an Internet connection 

might be better able to participate. Because the online survey contained a large number of skip patterns 

that were performed automatically by the computer survey but would appear complex on paper, the paper 

version was a condensed and simplified version that dropped some questions and reduced the number of 

skips. 

Copies of the final versions of both the Web and mail surveys are provided in Appendix B. 

4. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

4.1. Staff Training 

The evaluation team provided thorough training to the telephone and data entry staff who worked on the 

employer survey. For the telephone staff (who obtained correct addresses, reminded respondents that 

their questionnaires had not been completed, answered respondent questions, and conducted refusal 

conversion), this training included an explanation of the purpose of the survey, a review and explanation 

of calling duties, and role-playing scenarios. For data entry staff (who used the data management system), 

training consisted of an explanation of the purpose of the survey, a review of result codes and edits, and 

practice inputting data into the management system. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 9 
II Methodology 

4.2. Data Collection 

Data collection took place during a three-month period starting in June 2009. 

The initial contact with employers was through a letter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

(USCIS) Director of Research and Evaluation on agency letterhead (mailed to the sample by Westat). 

This letter explained the reason for the survey, asked participants to cooperate with the evaluation, 

informed them that Westat would be conducting the survey, and stressed that information provided by the 

respondent would be kept confidential. Included with the letter was a brochure about the study and a 

phone number that could be called if there were any questions. About a week later, a similar letter was 

sent on Westat letterhead containing the information that the employer needed to access and complete the 

survey; it also requested that the recipient provide information on who should be contacted if the recipient 

was not the correct contact person. Then another week later, a Westat reminder letter containing similar 

information was sent prior to beginning the reminder telephone calls to employers. 

Since the pre-test revealed that the locating information for the sampled employers often was outdated, 

the employer addresses were confirmed through a change-of-address service, which provided updated 

addresses and telephone numbers and indicated employers that had closed. Despite the use of the 

updates, many of the remaining sampled employers had closed, while others had moved, which 

complicated the task of reaching the employers. Exhibit II-1 shows the number of employers on the 

sample frame, the number of those employers where at least one of the above-mentioned letters was 

returned as undeliverable, and the percentage of mail returns. 

Exhibit II-1. Survey Sample Size and Mail Return, by Stratum 

Stratum Number of 

employers in the 

sample 

Number of 

employers with 

an undeliverable 

letter 

Mail returns 

(percent) 

Employment/temporary agencies 1,260 219 17.4 

2 to 14 employees 428 111 26.0 

15 to 99 employees 412 56 13.6 

100 or more employees 420 52 12.4 

Industries with high percent of undocumented workers 1,268 158 12.5 

Employee count unknown 260 57 21.9 

2 to 14 employees 306 46 15.0 

15 to 99 employees 279 25 9.0 

100 or more employees 423 30 7.1 

All other industries 1,291 131 10.1 

Employee count unknown 92 20 21.7 

2 to 14 employees 405 51 12.6 

15 to 99 employees 369 35 9.5 

100 or more employees 425 25 5.9 

Total 3,819 508 13.3 

When the Post Office returned any letters as undeliverable, the sample was checked to see whether an 

alternate address had been provided as part of the Dunn & Bradstreet database. If an alternative address 

was available, a new letter was sent to that address. Often, the alternative address was a post office box. 

If there was no alternative address, or if the letter sent to the alternative address was also returned as 

 10 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Methodology II

undeliverable, the employer was called to determine what the next appropriate step would be. In many of 

these “returned letter” cases, either the employer was no longer in business or the person to whom the 

letter had been addressed was no longer with the employer. If, during the phone contact, a new contact 

name was provided as a more appropriate person, a letter was sent to that person if requested. 

Approximately three weeks after data collection had begun, 1,229 employers (31 percent) had received a 

final status (i.e., they either were ineligible or provided a survey response), while 2,590 (69 percent) were 

still pending. Included in the final status group at that time were 289 employers that had completed the 

survey. On July 16, 2009, Westat began making telephone calls to the employers to verify that the 

packages had been received and had reached the right person, obtain updated contact information if 

needed, and prompt the sampled employers to respond to the survey. It soon became clear that 

(1) obtaining a high response rate would be difficult and highly expensive, and (2) the telephone calling 

process was not very productive. As an alternative approach to provide one final follow-up attempt, a 

FedEx package was sent to each of the employers still remaining in the nonresponse sample. Over a 

three-week period in August, Westat sent 2,514 FedEx packages. Each package included a letter with 

instructions for logging on to the survey and a hardcopy version of the Web questionnaire that could be 

completed and returned. 

A summary of the various nonuser mailings follows: 

• June 11, 2009: 3,819 USCIS introductory letters were mailed. 

• June 18, 2009: 3,819 Westat information letters were mailed. 

• June 24, 2009: ~3,700 Westat reminder letters were mailed. 

• In July, the remaining 3,133 non-finalized sample cases were divided. 

– July 16, 2009: 1,699 cases were assigned to telephone callers. 

– July 29, 2009: 1,434 cases were sent a second Westat reminder letter. 

• On August 12, 2009, Westat began sending hardcopy questionnaires by FedEx. 

– August 12, 2009: 1,450 hardcopy questionnaires were sent. 

– August 19, 2009: 707 hardcopy questionnaires were sent. 

– August 28, 2009: 225 hardcopy questionnaires were sent. 

– September 1, 2009: 132 hardcopy questionnaires were sent. 

Exhibit II-2 shows the results of the data collection effort for the E-Verify nonuser survey. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 11 
II Methodology 

 12 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

Exhibit II-2. Results of Data Collection Efforts 

Sample component Sample 

size 

Percent of 

employers 

Results prior 

to FedEx 

FedEx 

results 

Telephone 

results 

Total Sample 3,819 100.0 1,229 2,514 76 

Ineligible companies 1,072 28.1 782 277 13 

E-Verify user 287 26.7 199 76 12 

Employer closed 534 49.8 430 104 0 

No employees 246 22.9 148 97 1 

Other ineligible 5 0.5 5 0 0 

Eligible companies 2,747 71.9 447 2,237 63 

Web survey complete 384 14.0 289 68 27 

Mail survey complete 127 4.6 0 127 0 

Survey refusal 191 7.0 143 15 33 

Other result 2,045 74.4 15 2,027 3 

NOTE: Percents add to 100 within each major category (e.g., 287 E-Verify users form 26.7 percent of 1,072 ineligible 

companies). 

5. RESPONSE RATES AND STATISTICAL RELIABILITY

The pre-test of the survey instrument suggested that employers often would be difficult to locate and/or 

reluctant to participate. Several steps were taken in an effort to improve the likelihood of employers 

responding. Endorsements for the study were obtained from three professional organizations, the 

American Payroll Association, the Society for Human Resources Management, and the National Small 

Business Administration,14 and employers were mailed a brochure that described the purpose of the 

survey and included statements from each of the three endorsing organizations. Repeated contacts were 

made to nonrespondents through mail, email, telephone, and FedEx packages. Additionally, while the 

survey was originally intended as a Web survey, a hardcopy mail version was provided as an alternative; 

ultimately, 25 percent of the responses were received through mail/FedEx. However, despite these 

efforts, it became clear that nonresponse follow-up was increasingly unproductive and would require 

greater resources than was judged desirable. For this reason, data collection was terminated without 

reaching a satisfactory response rate. 

Of the 2,747 eligible employers, 2,236 employers (81 percent) did not complete the survey, while 511 

completed the survey either on the Web or by mail. Thus, the overall unweighted survey response rate 

was 19 percent. 

Survey researchers disagree on what is considered an acceptable response rate, but a response rate of 85 

percent or higher is widely accepted as a desirable target, and response rates below 70 percent are often 

considered as undesirable or even unacceptable for academic or government research. Commercial 

market research often is conducted under severe time and budget constraints, and market researchers 

often focus on achieving a set number of responses (perhaps within each of several target groups) without 

reporting a response rate. The key considerations are whether nonrespondents differ systematically from 

respondents, and whether sufficient data are available to properly weight the data to adjust for 

 

14 The organizations were not necessarily endorsing E-Verify itself but, rather, the collection of survey data to evaluate E-Verify. 
Methodology II

nonresponse. The concern in this study was not with the number of responses, but that the response rate 

was too low to properly evaluate what types of systematic differences may have appeared between 

respondents and nonrespondents. At 19 percent, the nonuser response rate was too low for the survey to 

provide statistically reliable results by traditional academic or government standards. Instead, the survey 

data are being treated as a case study, i.e., as an analysis of a limited amount of data to better understand 

employers’ decision-making processes and concerns relative to E-Verify, without considering those 

results to be nationally representative. 

Exhibit II-3 shows the number of employers on the sample frame, number that were sampled, number of 

eligible employers, number of completed surveys, and response rate for each stratum. There were small 

differences in response rates based on employer type, with industries that typically have a high proportion 

of undocumented workers showing a somewhat lower response rate (16 percent) than other industries (20 

percent for employment/temporary help agencies, and 20 percent for all other industries). Greater 

differences appeared based on employer size, with employers with fewer than 15 employees having lower 

response rates (14 percent) than employers with 100 or more employees (23 percent). 

Exhibit II-3. Web Survey Sample Size and Response Rate, by Stratum 

Stratum 

Number of 

employers in 

the Nation* 

Number of 

employers in 

the sample 

Number of 

eligible 

employers 

Number of 

completed 

surveys 

Response 

rate

Employment/temporary help 

agencies 49,061 1,260 829 160 19.3% 

Employee count unknown 60 0 -- -- -- 

2 to 14 employees 42,178 428 237 39 16.5 

15 to 99 employees 5,092 412 310 59 19.0 

100 or more employees 1,731 420 282 62 22.0 

Industries with high percent 

of undocumented workers 2,103,050 1,268 929 152 16.4 

Employee count unknown 196,917 260 167 11 6.6 

2 to 14 employees 1,675,745 306 187 28 15.0 

15 to 99 employees 211,547 279 228 47 20.6 

100 or more employees 18,841 423 347 66 19.0 

All other industries 7,300,898 1,291 989 199 20.1 

Employee count unknown 149,636 92 58 9 15.5 

2 to 14 employees 6,366,163 405 269 30 11.2 

15 to 99 employees 664,513 369 315 62 19.7 

100 or more employees 120,586 425 347 98 28.5 

Size category 

Employee count unknown 346,613 352 225 20 8.9 

2 to 14 employees 8,084,086 1,139 693 97 14.0 

15 to 99 employees 881,152 1,060 853 168 19.7 

100 or more employees 141,158 1,268 976 226 23.2 

Total 9,453,009 3,819 2,747 511 18.6 

NOTE: These statistics are based only on the sampling frame in order to have comparable data on respondents, nonrespondents, 

and the survey population as a whole. By contrast, data in the tables providing survey responses include updated data from the 

employers on their size and type, and thus have somewhat different distributions. 

*Excludes companies with only one employee. 

 -- = Not applicable/not available. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 13 
II Methodology 

 14 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

For tables in the remainder of this report, data on employers’ size and type were updated using the 

employers’ survey responses. Based on the survey responses (combined with data from the sampling 

frame), the respondents’ distribution by employer type consisted of 115 employment/temporary help 

agencies, 151 industries likely to employ undocumented workers, and 245 other industries. With regard 

to employer size, there were 126 employers with 2 to 24 employees, 174 with 15 to 99 employees, 210 

with 100 or more employees, and one with an unknown number of employees. 

6. FOCUS GROUPS

To provide supplemental and in-depth data on nonusers’ knowledge and attitudes concerning E-Verify, 

three focus groups of small and medium-sized employers that had not used E-Verify were conducted. An 

in-person focus group was conducted at Westat in Rockville, Maryland, on October 7, 2009, and two 

telephone focus groups were conducted on October 14 and October 20. The in-person focus group lasted 

about two hours, and the telephone focus groups lasted about an hour and 15 minutes each. 

Small and medium-size employers with between five and 99 employees were targeted for the focus 

groups because a very low percentage of small employers had completed the survey. Employment 

agencies (companies that refer workers seeking employment to companies seeking workers) were 

excluded because their hiring processes are very different from other types of employers. The sample for 

the nonuser focus groups came from the reserve Dunn & Bradstreet sample that had been obtained for the 

survey but had not been used for that purpose. Therefore, none of the employers in the survey sample 

were contacted again for the focus groups. 

For the in-person focus group, only employers in Maryland and the District of Columbia were targeted, 

while the telephone focus groups included participants throughout the United States. Additional 

recruiting for the in-person focus group was conducted through a presentation at the Rockville Chamber 

of Commerce monthly meeting.15 Nine employers participated in the in-person focus group, five 

employers participated in the October 14 telephone focus group, and six employers participated in the 

October 20 telephone focus group. 

A recruiting script and set of Frequently Asked Questions were prepared. The training of three recruiters 

took place on September 10, 2009. Recruitment began directly after the training and continued through 

October 2, 2009. A moderator script was prepared for the conduct of the focus group discussions. 

All three focus groups were audio-taped and a Westat staff member also took notes as a back-up. The 

audiotapes were later transcribed. A summary report was prepared for each focus group and the 

summaries were compiled into one document for ease of analysis. 

 

15 At the meeting, companies were asked to volunteer. All volunteers were then called to verify that they matched the categories in which 

additional companies were desired. 
Methodology II

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 15 

7. DATA LIMITATIONS

Originally, the nonuser survey was designed to provide nationally representative statistics on nonusers. 

However, the response rate to the survey (19 percent) was too low to provide reliable national estimates.16 

Though the total number of respondents (511) could be considered sufficient for reliable national 

estimates, the presence of substantial nonresponse creates the possibility that nonrespondents may differ 

in systematic ways from the respondents, in which case the statistics may overrepresent some types of 

employers relative to other types. Often weighting can be used to adjust for nonresponse, but when the 

response rate is sufficiently low and there are little data on the differences between respondents and 

nonrespondents, weighting might falsely imply a level of precision that does not actually exist. Two 

known biases are that small employers in particular were less likely to participate, as also were employers 

in some industries (e.g., those with a high proportion of foreign-born workers). These biases in response 

rates should be kept in mind when seeking to apply the statistics in this report to a broader population. 

Therefore, the data presented here are not weighted and should not be considered nationally 

representative. One should be wary of considering any of the survey estimates as being precise. 

Nevertheless, the data from the survey still provide information about a large number of employers with 

diverse characteristics. Researchers often use case studies with a limited number of participants as a way 

of identifying important issues and patterns that later might be quantified more precisely through a 

representative survey. Thus, the survey data therefore are presented here as a large-scale case study; 

though the data are not precise, they can be used to infer large patterns, particularly when there is a large 

consensus among the respondents. 

One of the design features of the study was to pick roughly equal numbers of large employers (those with 

100 or more employees), medium-sized employers (those with 15 to 99 employees), and small employers 

(those with two to 14 employees) in order to facilitate comparisons between the three groups.17 If large 

employers had been sampled in proportion to their actual frequency (2 percent of all businesses in the 

sample frame), there would be too few large employers to provide accurate statistics.18 The current study, 

even as a case study, still provides acceptable numbers of each size of employer, with 226 large 

employers, 168 medium-sized employers, and 97 small employers (plus 20 employers whose size was 

unknown at the time of survey sampling). Thus, this report does look for broad patterns with regard to 

whether these different sizes of employers give different responses. 

While this sampling approach is desirable for comparing different sizes of employers, it does have 

implications for the summary statistics that combine all employers together. Because the data are not 

weighted, the overall estimates (combining all sizes of employers) tend to give greater weight to the 

perceptions/experiences of large employers than is justified by their actual frequency. Large employers 

 

16See Section 5 in this chapter for a more extensive discussion of the response rate. 

17 Similarly, the study was designed to provide roughly equal numbers of three different industry types: employment and temporary help 

agencies, industries that typically have a high proportion of undocumented workers, and all other industries. The text focuses on the 

implications concerning company size because the nonresponse bias was much greater relative to company size than to industry type. Still, the 

same reasoning also applies to industry type. 

18 See Exhibit II-3 for additional information about the frame. 
II Methodology 

 16 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

formed 44 percent of the respondents but only 2 percent of all businesses.19 Similarly, small businesses 

formed 19 percent of the respondents but 89 percent of all businesses. Many of the statistics in this report 

showed few differences between large and small employers. However, in those cases where the report 

shows strong differences based on employer size, the estimates for small employers are likely to provide 

better estimates of the frequencies for the country as a whole than the statistics that combine all three 

sizes of employers. 

Finally, an important consideration when interpreting the data is that many employers have little 

knowledge of E-Verify and have given little thought to it. In fact, this may be the primary finding of the 

survey: 63 percent said they were not familiar with E-Verify. Also, though the possibility that 

participation in E-Verify might become mandatory has been discussed in the media and by some 

professional organizations, roughly a quarter of the respondents had no opinion on whether participation 

should be mandatory. Thus, the nonuser opinions presented in this report may reflect quickly formed 

judgments rather than deeply held opinions. The lack of information and consideration of E-Verify may 

also explain why it was so difficult to get employers to respond to the survey, since employers may have 

felt reluctant to comment on a program that was not relevant to them and about which they could not 

provide informed opinions. 

 

 

19 However, large companies have a disproportionate number of the Nation’s employees. According to U.S. Bureau of the Census data on 2007 

County Business Patterns, establishments with 100 or more employees formed 2 percent of U.S. establishments and had 46 percent of the 

employees. Establishments with fewer than 20 employees formed 86 percent of U.S. establishments and had 25 percent of the employees. 
The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 17 

CHAPTER III. EMPLOYERS’ DECISIONS ON 

PARTICIPATING IN E-VERIFY 

1. INTRODUCTION

Since a primary purpose of this study is to examine ways of increasing participation in E-Verify, perhaps 

the single most fundamental research question is determining employers’ reasons for not participating. 

The data suggest that the primary factors are neither a conscious choice by employers to reject E-Verify 

nor an objection to a particular program feature, but rather a lack of knowledge of or interest in E-Verify. 

Thus, this chapter first looks at employers’ lack of knowledge of E-Verify as one barrier to participation, 

followed by a discussion of other reasons that employers gave for not participating. Next, this chapter 

looks at the likelihood that employers’ nonparticipation will change in the future. Finally, the chapter 

examines how nonusers differ from users and whether some employer characteristics such as size and 

type of industry are related to participation in E-Verify.20 

2. LACK OF FAMILIARITY AS A BARRIER TO PARTICIPATING IN E-VERIFY

This section describes the nonusers’ familiarity with E-Verify and how familiarity is related to employer 

size and industry and discusses how nonusers who were familiar with E-Verify learned about the 

Program. 

2.1. What is the Level of Familiarity? 

The primary barrier to participation appears to be a lack of familiarity with the E-Verify Program. 

Overall, 63 percent of the survey respondents were not familiar with E-Verify (Exhibit III-1). Further, as 

shown later in this chapter, these unweighted statistics do not fully reflect the higher level of unfamiliarity 

among small businesses, which form a substantial part of the economy. Findings from the focus groups 

reinforce employers’ lack of familiarity with E-Verify. Only one of the employers from the two 

telephone focus groups had heard of E-Verify prior to participating in the focus groups. Familiarity was 

also low for the in-person focus group, except that Federal contractors (who faced an upcoming mandate 

to participate) showed higher awareness. 

 

20 For additional information see Findings of the E-Verify Program Evaluation, December 2009, at 

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3a351e56d3856210VgnVCM100000082ca

60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=75bce2e261405110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD. The nonuser survey and the E-Verify Web user survey 

included some of the same questions, but new questions were added to the nonuser survey. We include a discussion of the E-Verify Web users 

only where the questions are comparable. 
III Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify 

Exhibit III-1. Whether Employer Was Previously Familiar With the E-Verify Program 

63%

No

37%

Yes

NOTE: Number of respondents = 503. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Accentuating the importance of familiarity with E-Verify, one employer commented: “We would 

definitely use the verification program on a voluntary basis if it was easily accessible, free of charge, selfexplanatory, and fast. I would welcome a program that lets me plug in the information that I have 

received on the I-9 form and verify its contents. We have not used the verification system so far because 

this is the first time I have ever heard of it.” Another said: “We will be interested in trying out E-Verify 

provided it is quick, free and a user-friendly solution.” 

2.2. What Employer Characteristics Are Related to Familiarity With E-Verify? 

Large employers were much more likely to be familiar with E-Verify than small employers. A 

majority of large employers in the case study (56 percent) were familiar with E-Verify, compared with 

29 percent of medium-sized employers and 17 percent of small employers (Exhibit III-2). Given that

small businesses constitute 89 percent of all businesses in the United States (based on the sample frame), 

the overall national statistics across all sizes of employers should be fairly close to the 17 percent found 

for small employers. 

T 18 he Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify III

Exhibit III-2. Percent of Respondents Showing Familiarity With E-Verify, by Employer Size 

56

29

17

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

100 or more employees

15–99 employees 

2–14 employees 

Percent

NOTE: Number of respondents = 2 to 14 employees, 122, depending on the item; 15 to 99 employees, 173; 100 or more 

employees, 207. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey.

Awareness of E-Verify also varied by industry type. Slightly below half of the employment and 

temporary help agencies in the case study reported that they were familiar with E-Verify, compared with 

39 percent of businesses likely to employ undocumented workers and about one-third of all other 

industries (Exhibit III-3). Since less than 1 percent of U.S. businesses are employment and temporary help 

agencies, the relatively higher rate of familiarity among employment and temporary help agencies has 

little influence on the overall national statistics. 

Exhibit III-3. Percent of Respondents Showing Familiarity With E-Verify, by Industry Type 

33

39

44

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

All other industries

Industries likely to employ undocumented workers 

Employment/temporary help agencies

Percent

NOTE: Number of respondents = 113 employment/temporary help agencies, 149 industries likely to employ undocumented 

workers, and 241 other industries. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey.

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 19 
III Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify 

2.3. How Did Employers Hear About E-Verify? 

If increasing participation in E-Verify is an important goal and a lack of familiarity is the major barrier, 

then it is important to understand how employers learn about E-Verify. Among those employers in the 

case study who were familiar with E-Verify, the most commonly reported sources of information were 

professional associations (28 percent), media outlets (26 percent), and government materials or 

publications (23 percent) (Exhibit III-4). Three focus group participants commented that they sought 

information on law-related hiring issues from the Worker’s Compensation office; none of them had 

learned of E-Verify from that source, but their comments suggest it might also be an appropriate medium 

for communicating information. Since a natural focus among government policymakers is on what the 

government can do to increase familiarity, it is interesting that government materials and publications are 

only one of the top three sources. In surveys that use statistical sampling, small variations may appear by 

chance; thus, it is more appropriate to consider the top three sources as being roughly equally important 

than to rank them as first, second, and third. No other source of familiarity with E-Verify was mentioned 

by more than 10 percent of respondents. Focus group participants who were familiar with E-Verify stated 

that they learned about it from professional publications and meetings/conferences. 

Exhibit III-4. How Nonusers Familiar With E-Verify Found Out About the Program 

12

1

1

2

2

2

4

8

9

23

26

28

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Other 

Government presentation

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) audit or 

visit

Request from client to participate

Notice of a legal requirement to participate

Information from other locations of this company 

Poster, billboard, or other sign

Information from other companies

Government Web site 

Government materials or publications 

Other media coverage or advertisements

Information from a professional association

Percent

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 

audit or visit

NOTES: Number of respondents = 286. Sum does not add to 100 percent because respondents could provide more than one 

response. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

T 20 he Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify III

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 21 

3. BARRIERS TO USING E-VERIFY FOR EMPLOYERS THAT ARE 

FAMILIAR WITH IT

3.1. Reasons Nonusers Gave for Not Participating 

Of the respondents who indicated that they were familiar with E-Verify, the most common reason for not 

using E-Verify was the concern that the Program would not be worth the effort to implement it. As 

shown in Exhibit III-5, 50 percent of employers in the case study reported that they did not see any 

benefit from using E-Verify, and 47 percent thought it would be too costly or time-consuming to set up or 

use. A substantial number (43 percent) also said that making the transition to a new system would be too 

difficult or disruptive, though most of the employers selecting this item indicated that it was only a minor 

reason for not using E-Verify. These reasons contrast with the primary reason that former E-Verify users 

gave for not continuing to participate in E-Verify—that they rarely hired new employees.21

Some businesses did not see participating in E-Verify as beneficial because they viewed it as a 

government priority rather than a business priority. One employer requested that “our elected officials 

begin to make it the government’s responsibility (not the employers’) to control illegal immigration. Our 

government has a history of allowing illegal immigration to flourish and then relying on the businesses to 

bear the cost and exposure of controlling it.” Another employer said: “By strict legal definitions I agree 

that it [E-Verify] will reduce the use of fraudulent practices. But I think we’re missing the real issues 

around our immigration practices and I’d like to see the political debate center around that real issue. To 

assume that this practice will stop/reduce illegal immigration is false; it will however encourage illegal 

activity as a means for survival. There are hundreds of thousands of noncitizens who have been hardworking, productive, tax-paying contributors to our country under fraudulent work-authorization 

documents. We must consider the implications for them and their families, and fair treatment before 

implementing such a program.” 

Also, some employers viewed themselves as already following their legal obligations, so they again did 

not see a benefit to E-Verify. 

• One employer said that her company could accomplish the same goals in other ways. She 

mentioned that during the verification process with new hires, they inform them that they 

intend to call SSA to ensure that their Social Security documentation is legitimate. As a 

result, the majority of people walk out, presumably due to possessing fraudulent documents. 

• Another said, “We already run a thorough background and fingerprinting check on new hire 

employees.” 

• A third said, “We are required by law to do extensive checks on all employees.” 

• Another saw no need for verification because of the lack of new hires. “I have only 3 staff; 

[they have] been with me for years.” 

 

21 Data on former E-Verify users are from the 2008 survey of users, discussed in Findings of the E-Verify Program Evaluation, December 2009, 

p. 83. 
III Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify 

Exhibit III-5. Reasons Nonusers Who Are Familiar With E-Verify Are Not Using It 

2

3

6

9

22

23

24

25

26

43

47

50

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Percent

Very important reason

 22 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

Important reason

Minor reason

We do not see any benefit from using this type of program.

We think it would be too costly or too time-consuming for us to use.

Making the transition to a new system would be too 

difficult or disruptive.

We rarely hire new employees.

We are concerned that using this type of program would

increase the chance of an audit, raid, or fine by the

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

We do not have available staff with sufficient skills

to work on a verification program.

We only hire U.S. citizens.

We have trouble finding enough workers to meet our needs.

Using a work-authorization verification program

might make that worse.

We do not have computers with an Internet connection

or our connection is very slow.

As long as people do the work, their immigration

status is none of our business.

Hiring only people with proper document

would be too expensive.

We decided there is a better way to verify whether individuals

are authorized to work in the United States.

NOTE: Statistics are based on only 171 responses since most users were not familiar with E-Verify. Sum does not add to 

100 percent because respondents could choose more than one reason. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Nonusers’ perceptions of burden appeared to be based in part on their experience with other 

government programs. 

• “We have already experienced problems with government Internet systems such as this—

and can never reach anyone for help when issues arise, and this will be another program with 

similar problems. It’s just easier to complete the I-9 forms with supporting documentation, 

as we can control it at our local level, rather than have issues with an Internet-based system. 

We are strongly opposed to a mandatory-based E-Verify system as we have no confidence 

that the system will work properly, based on past experience.” 
Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify III

• Similarly, one employer commented: “The Web site cannot be confusing or difficult or 

people won’t use it. A good example of a confusing Web site is the SSA/BSO (Social 

Security Administration/Business Services Online) Web site. To get our folks registered to 

be able to verify SS numbers is a long, cumbersome, and confusing process and requires 

reactivation on a too-regular basis. It wastes a lot of time for our employees, especially 

considering the numbers of new employees we have to verify each year.” 

For many employers, participation in E-Verify represented one extra set of tasks to perform, and 

that constituted a burden. One commented: “It would take too much time and add another step to our 

already extremely lengthy hiring process.” 

• Some mentioned that the initial training was time-consuming, given the 61-page 

manual and three-hour tutorial. One employer, who considered himself to be an advocate 

of “streamlined processes,” said he would rather spend three hours focusing on increasing 

his sales than completing the tutorial. Another said: “With limited HR staff there is concern 

about how much additional time E-Verify may actually take including tutorials, testing, 

updates, etc.” 

• Others found the three-day deadline for submitting worker information to E-Verify to 

be problematic. One employer said: “With E-Verify the employer must initiate a query no 

later than the end of three business days after the new hire’s start date. Although we realize 

this is the time frame for collection of the I-9 information, E-Verify would be an additional 

step in the new hire process.” 

• Some mentioned the staffing requirements for participating in E-Verify as a concern, 

particularly if they were small or in the process of downsizing. One said: “[My company] is 

a small, specialized non-profit. I am a one-person office.” Two employers said that they 

lack sufficient time or money to learn a new system since they are the only human resources 

staff. 

• Some were concerned about a potential loss of income. This can especially be a concern 

for recruiters or employment agencies who do not earn any income until a worker is placed 

in a position. 

• Others mentioned the time required to fix mistakes. One said there would be “too much 

hassle if a mistake is made by E-Verify or Social Security such as a data entry error.” 

• One mentioned the extra demands involved through having multiple locations, saying it 

would be “hard to ensure compliance.” 

Relatively few employers said that participating in E-Verify would make it difficult to find enough 

workers. However, there were exceptions. An employer in the farming industry that responded to the 

mail survey considered the difficulty of finding enough workers to be its most important reason for not 

using the Program. While this employer reported that between 41 and 80 percent of its current workers 

are work-authorized noncitizens or lawful permanent residents, it also reported hiring some new workers 

that were not authorized to work, ranging from 6 to 10 percent in the 2008 calendar year. Approximately 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 23 
III Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify 

85 percent of the 284 workers it hired in 2008 were short-term or temporary workers hired during the 

harvest season. One employer indicated that it would not be beneficial for farming employers to use EVerify for verifying work authorization, particularly during the harvest season. 

In addition to the reasons shown in Exhibit III-5, employers provided other reasons for not using E-Verify 

through responses to open-ended survey questions. The additional reasons are summarized below. 

• Concerns over accuracy. One employer indicated that he was concerned about “the ability 

of the system to handle the volume and the inaccuracies.” Another said that they “have no 

confidence that this (E-Verify) will work properly.” Yet another employer expressed 

concerns about how the system handles name changes and foreign names. 

• Fear of legal trouble. One employer requested: “Hold me, personally, and my company 

harmless from any loopholes in the system that become exploited by the undocumented 

population and their lawyers. Bottom line...I don’t want to make the 5 o’clock news by 

complying with a broken system.” Another said: “This program should provide some sort of 

guarantee that, if used, and the employee is hired after being verified, that the employer is 

free from any fines, etc., if the employee is later found to be illegitimately employed.” 

• Concerns over privacy. One employer commented the “[Memorandum of Understanding] 

document requires us to give the government access to all of our hiring records.” Another 

said: “Online databases also raise the question, what about individual privacy? If your 

picture and/or information is available to any employer that has access to your Social 

Security number, I’m not sure how comfortable I would feel about that.” E-Verify policies 

are intended to protect both employer and employees privacy, but these comments suggest 

that communicating those policies to employers is important to encourage employers t o 

participate. 

• Concerns over timing. One employer said: “My understanding is that E-Verify could 

cause delays in start date [of newly hired employees].” Others commented on the E-Verify 

requirement to input the Form I-9 information into the E-Verify system within three days of 

hire. Most employers in the focus groups did not express concerns with using E-Verify 

within three days of hire, as long as they were able to access it. However, several small 

employers were concerned. One employer said it is “the worst case scenario when you 

operate a one-person shop and you have an illness or you go on vacation and it is the 

employee’s second day of employment.” 

• Conflict with other procedures. One employer said: “We are a union company and hire 

out of the union hall.” 

The study participants also described specific types of employers for which participation in E-Verify 

might not be useful. 

• Family-run businesses or other small businesses. Such employers often predominantly 

employ relatives and a few full-time or part-time nonrelatives that are well known to 

employer staff. An employer said, “Small ‘mom & pop’ companies do not need the extra 

stress, or paperwork.” A focus group employer that owns a family business does not do 

 24 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify III

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 25 

formal testing or background checks, saying “I can sort of size them and decide whether they 

are kosher or not.” One employer remarked, “As in our situation, we are a small, local 

business, and we personally know most of our teenage employees before we hire them. We 

have not had any migrant workers or workers of questionable residency apply for 

employment with us. We use the I-9 form now to show proof of residency—if an Internet 

verification were easier/quicker to use that would benefit us in time-savings only.”

• Employers that hire seasonal and temporary workers. One employer wrote that 

employers that would not benefit from participation in E-Verify would include “companies 

that hire seasonal workers, laborers, construction companies, restaurants, etc....” Another 

gave the example of “construction companies who are unionized and employ their workers 

from a hiring hall. These workers are hired and laid off as work is available. Each 

contractor to employ one of these workers would have to spend the time verifying their 

status, even though another contractor already did. Not to mention one contractor may hire 

the same worker numerous times over a couple years’ time frame.” 

3.2. Relationship Between Reasons for Not Using E-Verify and Employer Characteristics 

This section examines how employer characteristics are related to employers’ reasons for not 

participating in E-Verify. 

Small employers were more likely than large employers to give several reasons for not 

participating. As Exhibit III-6 shows, small employers more often said they rarely hire new employees 

(84 percent versus 13 percent for large employers), only hire U.S. citizens (58 percent versus 

12 percent),22 and have trouble finding enough workers (15 percent versus 7 percent). Though one might 

anticipate that small employers would be more likely to cite problems with resources, they about as likely 

to say they lacked available staff with sufficient skills than did large employers (25 percent versus 

22 percent) and only slightly more likely to say they lacked a computer with an Internet connection or had 

a slow connection (10 percent versus 5 percent). Small employers were less likely than large employers 

to say that the transition to a new system would be too difficult (28 percent versus 43 percent). 

The reasons for not participating also varied by industry. Employment and temporary help agencies 

were more likely to say participation would be too costly or time-consuming (64 percent versus 36 to 

48 percent among other industries), they lacked available staff with sufficient skills (37 percent versus 

16 to 20 percent), and there was a better way to verify work authorization (43 percent versus 9 to 

22 percent) (Exhibit III-7). Employment and temporary help agencies also were more likely to say the 

transition would be too difficult (55 percent), though there was only a small difference with industries 

more likely to employ undocumented workers (47 percent) but a large difference with other industries 

(31 percent). Industries that were more likely to hire undocumented workers were more likely to say they 

rarely hire new employees (35 percent versus 21 to 22 percent for the other two categories) and that 

 

22 The phrase “only hire U.S. citizens” could have multiple interpretations. Employers might mean that they refuse to hire noncitizens, which is 

illegal. They might also mean that they happen to know that their workers are U.S. citizens (e.g., because of the nature of the community or 

because of a close personal relationship with their workers), without necessarily performing any verification activities or making citizenship a 

requirement in the hiring process. The phrase was intentionally ambiguous since it might be hard for employers to admit they were violating 

the law. 
III Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify 

workers’ immigration status was none of their business (9 percent versus 0 percent for the other 

categories). Both employment and temporary help agencies and industries that were more likely to hire 

undocumented workers were slightly more likely to fear that participation would increase the chance of 

an audit, raid, or fine (26 to 27 percent) than other industries (19 percent). 

Exhibit III-6. Reasons Employers Do Not Participate in E-Verify, by Employer Size 

1

0

5

7

26

24

22

43

46

51

12

13

2

9

5

10

23

23

25

48

53

48

33

31

5

6

10

15

22

24

25

28

43

48

58

84

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

People with proper documentation would be too 

expensive

Immigration status is none of our business

No Internet connection or very slow

Have trouble finding enough workers

Better way to verify work authorization

Might increase the chance of an audit, raid, or 

fine

Lack available staff with sufficient skills

Transition would be too difficult

Too costly or too time-consuming 

See no benefit

Only hire U.S. citizens

Rarely hire new employees

Percent

2–14 employees

15–99 employees

100 or more employees

NOTE: Number of respondents = 2 to 14 employees, 18-21, depending on the item; 15 to 99 employees, 40-46; 100 or more 

employees, 96-112. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey.

T 26 he Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify III

Exhibit III-7. Reasons Employers Do Not Participate in E-Verify, by Industry 

1

0

4

6

21

19

19

16

22

49

31

36

4

9

9

15

35

24

27

20

9

52

47

48

0

0

4

7

22

25

26

37

43

49

55

64

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

People with proper documentation would be too 

expensive

Immigration status is none of our business

No Internet connection or very slow

Have trouble finding enough workers

Rarely hire new employees

Only hire U.S. citizens

Might increase the chance of an audit, raid, or fine

Lack available staff with sufficient skills

Better way to verify work authorization

See no benefit

Transition would be too difficult

Too costly or too time-consuming 

Percent

Employment/temporary help agencies

Industries likely to employ undocumented workers

Other

NOTE: Number of respondents = employment/temporary help agencies, 44-47, depending on the item; industries likely to 

employ undocumented workers, 43-55; other, 67-76. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 27 
III Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify 

4. PLANS TO USE E-VERIFY IN THE FUTURE

The survey addressed whether employers would plan to use E-Verify in the future. Only limited data are 

available on this topic from the survey, however, because the question was not asked of everyone.23 

Among those employers who did respond, there were strong differences between those who were familiar 

with E-Verify and those who were not. 

Many of the respondents said they definitely planned to use E-Verify in the future, but more either 

had not decided or did not intend to use E-Verify unless they were mandated to do so (Exhibit III-8). 

Depending on their current level of familiarity with E-Verify, between 18 and 30 percent said they 

definitely planned to use E-Verify, while between 32 and 56 percent said they would not participate. 

Respondents who were familiar with E-Verify showed less interest in participating than those who were 

unfamiliar with the Program. That is, 56 percent of those who were familiar with it said they did not plan 

to use it unless they were mandated to do so, compared with 32 percent of those who were not familiar 

with it. 

Exhibit III-8. Does This Company Plan to Use E-Verify in the Future? 

30

18

32

56

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Not familiar

Familiar with E-Verify

Definitely plan to use it Do not intend to use it unless mandated

 

N

OTES: Statistics are based on only 57 respondents who were familiar with E-Verify and 44 respondents who were not familiar 

with E-Verify. Web respondents were not asked this question unless they indicated familiarity with E-Verify. Sum does not add

to 100 percent because of rounding. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey.

It is not clear how to interpret the difference in future plans to use E-Verify between those who were 

familiar with the Program and those who were not. One would expect that employers that were 

unfamiliar with E-Verify would be more likely not to have made a decision, as actually happened. But 

the statistics presented here do not necessarily imply that employers that are unfamiliar with E-Verify will 

tend to oppose participation once they become familiar with it. One factor is that there is probably some 

23 The survey question was asked of all respondents on the mail survey. However, Web survey respondents were only asked this question if they 

were familiar with E-Verify and responded that they had considered using E-Verify. As a result, only one-third of survey respondents were 

asked this question. 

T 28 he Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify III

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 29 

self-selection among employers who were familiar with E-Verify that would bias the statistics in a 

negative direction; that is, employers that were familiar with E-Verify and had a positive impression may 

have started to participate in E-Verify and thus become ineligible for the survey. This bias is probably 

small in terms of the percentage of employers affected since less than 3 percent of employers participate 

in E-Verify. But the context for hearing about E-Verify also may be important. If many who were 

unfavorable had been exposed to an unfavorable news article or to materials prepared by a group opposed 

to E-Verify, their opinions may not be the same as those exposed to new outreach efforts. Too few 

employers responded to this survey question to examine the reasons for their negativity in detail. By 

contrast, the exposure to E-Verify through the survey process may have been more neutral, resulting in a 

more even distribution among the respondents who had been unfamiliar with E-Verify. The process of 

participating in a focus group helped to motivate one employer, who declared a plan to investigate using 

E-Verify as soon as the focus group ended. 

5. CHARACTERISTICS OF NONUSERS

5.1. How Do Nonusers Differ From Users? 

Since less than 3 percent of all employers currently participate in E-Verify, identifying the characteristics 

of nonusers is essentially the same as identifying the characteristics of all employers throughout the 

United States. This section uses statistics from the nonuser survey and from the sample frame developed 

from data provided by Dunn & Bradstreet to describe nonusers, and data from the 2008 E-Verify Web 

Survey to describe users. There were several systematic differences between nonusers and users. 

Compared with E-Verify users, nonusers were disproportionately likely to be small businesses. 

While 58 percent of E-Verify users were large employers (with 100 or more employees), only 2 percent 

of all employers nationally are in this size category (Exhibit III-9).24 Similarly, while 8 percent of 

E-Verify users were small employers (with 2 to 14 employees), 89 percent of all U.S. employers were 

small. 

 

24 The statistics exclude employers with no employees (other than the owner) and home-based employers, both of which groups were treated as 

ineligible for the survey. If these employers were also included, then the proportion of companies with 100 or more employees would be lower 

than shown here. 
III Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify 

Exhibit III-9. Percent of All Employers Nationally and Percent of E-Verify Users, by Employer 

Size 

89

8 33

10

58

2

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Percent of current E-Verify users

Percent of all companies in the Nation (frame)

2–14 employees 15–99 employees 100 or more employees

NOTES: Number of eligible employers in Nation = 9,453,009; number of E-Verify users = 8,697. Sum does not add to 100 

percent because of rounding. 

SOURCES: E-Verify Web survey: 2008; sample frame developed from data provided by Dunn & Bradstreet. 

Nonusers were less likely than E-Verify users to fall within two industry types: employment and 

temporary help agencies and industries that are highly likely to employ undocumented workers. 

While 11 percent of E-Verify users were employment and temporary help agencies, such employers form 

only 1 percent of all employers in the Nation (Exhibit III-10). Also, while 27 percent of E-Verify users 

were in industries that are highly likely to employ undocumented workers, only 22 percent of all 

employers in the Nation are in those industries. 

Exhibit III-10. Percent of All Employers Nationally and Percent of E-Verify Users, by Industry 

11

1

27

22

62

77

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Percent of users

Percent of all companies in the Nation (frame)

Employment/temporary agencies Industries likely to employ undocumented workers All other industries

NOTE: Number of eligible employers in Nation 9,453,009; number of E-Verify users = 9,002 (weighted). 

SOURCES: E-Verify Web Survey: 2008; sample frame developed from data provided by Dunn & Bradstreet. 

Nonusers often hired few noncitizens. Eighty-one percent of nonusers in the case study currently had 

few current workers (5 percent or less) who were lawful permanent residents (LPRs) or other noncitizens 

(Exhibit III-11). While the data for E-Verify users reported from an earlier survey are not fully 

comparable because the user survey asked about the proportion of workers who were immigrants, roughly 

T 30 he Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify III

half of the E-Verify users said that more than 5 percent of their workers were immigrants.25 This suggests 

that E-Verify users may be more involved with work-authorization issues than nonusers. 

Exhibit III-11. Percent of Current Workers Who Are Lawful Permanent Residents or Other 

Noncitizens, as Reported by Employers 

49

81

22

7

12

5

14

2

3

5

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Percent of users

Percent of nonusers in case study

5 percent or less 6–20 percent 21–40 percent 41–80 percent 81 percent or more

NOTES: Number of respondents to the nonuser survey = 493 (unweighted); number of E-Verify users = 8,647 (weighted). The 

survey of nonusers asked for the proportion of employees who were noncitizens, while the survey of users asked for the 

proportion who were immigrants. 

SOURCE: E-Verify Web Survey: 2008 and Employer Nonuser Survey. 

5.2. Other Employer Characteristics That Have Implications for Participation in E-Verify 

Case study participants were asked to provide additional information about their employer characteristics 

in areas that might affect their participation in E-Verify. 

About two-thirds of nonusers in the case study described their employers as a single location or 

local franchise of a larger company (Exhibit III-12).26 Employers with multiple locations potentially 

raise several issues for E-Verify participation: (1) there is a question whether each individual location or 

only the headquarters needs to be recruited for E-Verify participation; (2) employers with multiple 

locations may have different levels of resources for participating in E-Verify; and (3) new employees 

might be processed through either the central headquarters or at the local site, possibly affecting the 

availability of data for entry into the E-Verify system and the employers’ ability to meet the three-day 

schedule for entering data. 

 

25 Immigrants include all workers who were born outside of the United States (whether or not they were citizens), and thus are a larger group than 

noncitizens. 

26 The sample excluded branches of a company, but franchises were treated as independent companies and were included as part of the sample. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 31 
III Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify 

Exhibit III-12. Single or Multiple Location Status of Case Study Participants 

36%

Multiple location

64%

Single locati

local franchis

on or 

e

NOTE: Number of respondents = 511. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Many case study participants did relatively little hiring in 2008. Roughly one-third hired four or 

fewer new workers in 2008, while a similar number hired between 5 and 30 new workers (Exhibit III-13).

27 The median number of workers hired by case study participants in 2008 was 15. The number of new 

hires affects employers’ needs to check workers’ employment authorization and the level of time and 

effort required to check work authorization; for example, small employers that do not frequently hire new 

workers potentially need to relearn the procedures each time a new worker is hired, especially if the 

worker receives a TNC, and possibly need to reset a lapsed password. 

 32 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

Exhibit III-13. Number of New Workers Hired by Case Study Participants in 2008 

32% 

0–4 workers

31%

5–30 workers

37%

31 or more workers

32%

0–4 workers 37%

31 or more workers

31%

5–30 workers

NOTE: Number of respondents = 297. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

 

27 These statistics may be lower than normal since the survey was conducted during an economic recession. For the years 2001–04, roughly 40 

percent of average annual employment consisted of new hires, with the rate varying greatly by industry. See Developing Annual Estimates of 

Hires and Separations, by Brady Stephens and Kim Riley, Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2005 

(http://www.bls.gov/osmr/pdf/st050250.pdf). From a work-verification perspective, the absolute number of new hires may be more important 

than the percentage who are new hires, since small businesses may not have as many resources and procedures in place to handle workauthorization issues. 
Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify III

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 33 

Case study participants also often did little or no hiring of short-term or temporary workers in 

2008, which might affect their need for and uses of E-Verify.28 Forty-two percent reported they hired 

no short-term or temporary workers, and 23 percent reported they hired one to four new workers of this 

type (Exhibit III-14). In some industries, short-term or temporary employees may be more likely not to 

be work authorized; also, the burden of checking on the work authorization of short-term employees may 

appear to be great considering that an employer may be making only a short-term commitment to such 

employees. 

Exhibit III-14. Number of Short-Term or Temporary Workers Hired in 2008 by Case Study 

Participants 

42%

None

16%

5–30 

19%

31 or more

23%

1–4 

NOTE: Number of respondents = 268. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Half of the case study participants reported that hiring is typically even throughout the year 

(Exhibit III-15). Employers were asked about seasonal hiring because it may affect the level of work 

associated with participating in E-Verify. Large surges of seasonal workers may make timely processing 

of workers’ employment-authorization status more difficult, especially for complying with the three-day 

rule to enter new hires into E-Verify. 

 

28 This question was not asked of E-Verify users in the 2008 survey so no comparative data are available. 
III Employers’ Decision on Participating in E-Verify 

Exhibit III-15. Percent of Nonusers Reporting Even Hiring Throughout the Year or Hiring at 

Specific Times in a Typical Year 

50%

Even hiring in

a typical year

50%

Hiring at specific

times in a typical year

NOTE: Number of respondents = 496. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

T 34 he Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
CHAPTER IV. IMPLICATIONS OF SIGNING UP FOR 

E-VERIFY FOR NONUSERS 

1. INTRODUCTION

All employers are required to use the Form I-9 verification procedures for their new hires regardless of 

whether they participate in E-Verify, but employers may also conduct other verification procedures at 

their own initiative. The extent to which E-Verify provides a help or a burden depends in part on what 

additional procedures the employers are already doing. This chapter examines the types of verification 

procedures currently followed by nonusers and discusses the implications of participating in E-Verify for 

current nonusers. 

2. DESCRIPTION OF CURRENT NONUSER VERIFICATION PROCEDURES

2.1. Use of the Form I-9 

Most, but not all, case study participants reported using the Form I-9. Eighty-one percent reported 

using the Form I-9 to verify the employment authorization of their workers. 

Case study participants that had multiple locations were most likely to have the Form I-9 completed at 

their company headquarters. Most reported that Form I-9 paperwork was completed at their headquarters 

(41 percent) or at local company establishments (35 percent), as shown in Exhibit IV-1. Some nonusers 

reported completing the I-9 at both company headquarters and at local branches (12 percent). A small 

percentage reported completing the Form I-9 at offsite locations (2 percent). 

Exhibit IV-1. Where Is the Form I-9 Completed? 

Location Percent of nonusers 

At headquarters 41 

At each of the local establishments of the employer 35 

Headquarters and local establishments 12 

Offsite, in the field 2 

Other (including combinations of above categories) 10 

NOTES: These statistics are only for the 122 employers with multiple locations. The only combined location category shown is 

“headquarters and local establishments” because the remaining combined categories represent such small percentages. The 

“other” category includes other locations and all other possible combinations of reported categories. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Very few case study participants used an electronic Form I-9 to verify the employment 

authorization of workers (Exhibit IV-2). Federal law allows the use of an electronic I-9, but the 

capacity to produce and maintain electronic I-9s is typically provided through outside vendors who charge 

a flat monthly fee or per employee fee. The fee might involve a separate charge or be incorporated within 

a larger package of vendor services. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 35 
IV Implications of Signing Up for E-Verify for Nonusers 

 36 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

Exhibit IV-2. Do You Currently Use Any Form of Electronic I-9? 

Response Percent of nonusers 

Yes 5 

No 95 

NOTE: Number of respondents = 433. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Most case study participants completed the Form I-9 between the time the person accepted the job 

offer and the time the person began working. As Exhibit IV-3 shows, approximately half of employers 

complete the I-9 when the person has accepted the job offer, but has not begun working yet (54 percent), 

while others complete it once the person has already started working (21 percent). Some employers 

reported asking job applicants to complete the Form I-9 as part of the application process (12 percent).29

Exhibit IV-3. When in the Hiring Process is the Form I-9 Completed? 

Timeframe Percent of employers 

When the person has started work 21 

When the person has been offered a job, has accepted it, but has not started to work yet 54 

When the person has been offered a job, whether or not he/she has accepted it 4 

When the person applies for a job 12 

Other 9 

NOTE: Number of respondents = 508. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Focus group employers provided more detailed information regarding the Form I-9 and their current 

verification procedures. Some employers mentioned that they intend to have the paperwork completed on 

the first day, but sometimes the process is prolonged for a few days when workers forget to bring the 

completed documents. One employer said the I-9 is typically completed on the first day of work unless 

the person has an H-1B Visa, in which case it would be completed earlier. One employer who was a 

Federal contractor mentioned that when it sends out job offer letters, the Form I-9 is included along with 

several other documents. The company requests that people return the completed documents on their start 

date. Another employer said that her company may interview a job candidate, offer the person a position, 

and have the I-9 and other documentation completed and verified within 45 minutes. This same employer 

previously allowed people to begin working before completing all of their paperwork, but because it took 

some new hires too long to do this, they now must bring in their completed paperwork prior to the first 

day of work. 

Several employers expressed concerns about the Form I-9 process. One employer said, “My fear is when 

an employee fills out the I-9 and is required to have two forms of ID, typically their Social Security card 

and a driver’s license, both could be fake.” Another employer mentioned that many of their new hires 

attempt to use fake IDs belonging to a relative since they do not have the appropriate documentation. A 

different employer commented that documents can appear legitimate, but it is difficult to be certain, 

especially when workers provide licenses from states outside of the employer’s location. Another 

explained that the I-9 requires that the employer examine the workers’ documents and indicate which type 

 

29 There are two steps to complete the Form I-9; first the employee must complete one portion, after which the employer completes the remainder. 

Some employers may have been referring to when the employee completed the form rather than when the company completed it. 
Implications of Signing Up for E-Verify for Nonusers IV

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 37 

of document was provided. This employer remarked that you complete the documentation in “good faith” 

based on the information the worker provides, and “that’s the end of our responsibility.” 

2.2. Procedures for Employment Verification 

Employers used a variety of means of checking work authorization instead of or in addition to the Form I9 procedures. As seen in Exhibit IV-4, many employers indicated that they check references and/or 

employment history (53 percent), ask appropriate questions in the application form (50 percent), and 

conduct background checks (44 percent).30 Some employers (23 percent) also reported verifying Social 

Security numbers with the Social Security Administration (SSA). 

Exhibit IV-4. Employers’ Current Verification Procedures 

Procedure Percent of employers 

We use the Form I-9 to verify authorization to work 81 

We check references and/or employment history 53 

We ask appropriate questions in the application form 50 

We conduct background checks 44 

We verify Social Security numbers through SSA 23 

We pay another company to do our verification for us 11 

We do not have a formal process in place to verify work authorization 5 

Other 9 

NOTE: Number of respondents = 511. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

2.3. Who is Verified? 

The nonuser survey asked employers which types of workers they verify for work authorization, with 

several categories of workers listed. Respondents could choose more than one option. 

Two-thirds of employers in the case study (69 percent) reported verifying all new hires. A number of 

employers verified job applicants (32 percent); there is some ambiguity as to what step employers 

referred to when saying an employee was verified, but this response could be inconsistent with the 

requirement that the Form I-9 not be used for prescreening (Exhibit IV-5).31 Some employers reported 

verifying all workers regardless of when they were hired (12 percent), workers who claim to be citizens (8 

 

30 The survey did not ask employers to provide additional details, such as which questions were included on the application forms or what was 

involved in the background checks. 

31 Some employers may have identified the initial part of the process, when the employee section of Form I-9 is completed, as verifying the 

employee. Employers are not required to have the I-9 completed until the employee begins work, but they may ask employees to complete the 

Form I-9 earlier, including as part of the application process. The employer portion of the form should not be completed until the applicant has 

been offered and has accepted the job. The USCIS Handbook for Employers (p. 29) states: “The law requires that you complete Form I-9 only 

when the person actually begins working. However, you may complete the form earlier, as long as the person has been offered and has 

accepted the job. You may not use Form I-9 process to screen job applicants.” Discussions at the stakeholders meeting in Arizona indicate that 

some employers are confused about the timing of the verification process. Some employers might also have thought of other actions, such as 

asking on the application form whether the employee was work authorized, as verification. 
IV Implications of Signing Up for E-Verify for Nonusers 

percent), and workers who claim to be noncitizens (8 percent). Seven percent of the employers said they 

did not verify any categories of workers. 

Exhibit IV-5. Which Types of Workers Are Verified for Work Authorization? 

Type of worker verified Percent of employers 

All newly hired employees are verified 69 

All job applicants are verified 32 

All workers regardless of when they were hired are verified 12 

Workers who claim to be citizens are verified 8 

Workers who claim to be noncitizens are verified 8 

No workers are verified 7 

Workers filling specific jobs are verified 2 

Other 5 

NOTES: Number of respondents = 496. Sum does not add to 100 percent because employers could provide more than one 

response. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Employers differed on how they defined an employee as “newly hired.” As shown in Exhibit IV-6,

42 percent of employers in the case study defined a newly hired employee as “a person who has been 

offered a job, has accepted it, but hasn’t started work yet,” and 35 percent used a definition that included 

“a person who has started work.” Some employers (16 percent) considered a new hire to be “a person 

who has been made a conditional offer of a job and has accepted it,” and a very small portion (4 percent) 

used a definition that included job applicants. 

Exhibit IV-6. Definition Used for “Newly Hired Employee” 

Definition Percent of employers 

A person who has started work 35 

A person who has been offered a job, has accepted it, but hasn’t started to work yet 42 

A person who has been made a conditional offer of a job and has accepted it 16 

A person who has been offered a job, whether or not he/she has accepted it 4 

Other 2 

NOTE: Number of respondents = 511. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Eighty-five percent of employers in the case study reported that they did not have any new hires in 

2008 that were not found work authorized. Seven percent reported that at least one or two employees 

were not found work authorized, 4 percent reported that three to five employees were not work 

authorized, and 4 percent reported more than 10 (Exhibit IV-7). The survey did not ask for information on 

how the employees were found to be not work authorized. 

 38 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Implications of Signing Up for E-Verify for Nonusers IV

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 39 

Exhibit IV-7. Number of Newly Hired Employees Not Found Work Authorized During 2008, as 

Reported by Nonuser Survey Respondents 

Number of employees Percent of employers 

None 85 

1 or 2 7 

3 to 5 4 

6 to 10 0 

More than 10 4 

NOTE: Number of respondents = 492. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

On average, employers reported spending less than 15 minutes per employee on verifying 

authorization to work. As shown in Exhibit IV-8, 35 percent spent from 5 to 14 minutes each verifying 

new employees’ work authorization and 28 percent spent less than 5 minutes. Another 16 percent reported 

taking 15 to 29 minutes to complete verification procedures, 11 percent reported taking between 30 

minutes and an hour, and roughly 10 percent reported taking more than one hour per employee. 

Exhibit IV-8. Time Spent Verifying Each New Employee’s Work Authorization 

Time Percent of employers 

Less than 5 minutes 28 

5 to 14 minutes 35 

15 to 29 minutes 16 

30 to 59 minutes 11 

1 to 4 hours 7 

5 to 9 hours 1 

10 hours or longer 1 

No formal process 1 

NOTE: Number of respondents = 489. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

3. IMPACT OF E-VERIFY ON CURRENT NONUSER PROCEDURES

This section focuses on the potential impact of participating in the E-Verify Program for nonusers in 

terms of the resources and process required to participate. 

3.1. Resources 

As shown in Exhibit III-5, some employers in the case study indicated that they did not have the resources 

to participate in E-Verify: 23 percent said they did not have available staff with sufficient skills,32 and 

6 percent said they did not have computers with an Internet connection or they had only a slow Internet 

 

32The questionnaire did not ask the companies to specify which skills were an issue. These skills might include computer skills and/or knowledge 

of E-Verify and work authorization. 
IV Implications of Signing Up for E-Verify for Nonusers 

 40 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

connection. Thus, while the large majority of employers have the basic resources needed to use E-Verify, 

there remains a substantial segment for whom the lack of resources would be an issue. The employers 

facing the greatest issues with regard to resources appear to be employment and temporary help agencies. 

Following are some comments received from focus group and survey participants related to specific types 

of resources: 

• Administrative resources. A focus group employer mentioned, “I don’t have an HR person 

or someone to handle the payroll. We outsource everything—payroll, legal, HR, insurance.” 

This respondent seemed unaware that participation in E-Verify can also be outsourced 

through the use of Designated Agents (DAs). 

• Computer resources. An employer commented, “There are many small employers that still 

exist without any type of computers in use—forcing them to purchase a computer and pay 

for monthly Internet charges could be a hardship.” Another mentioned the potential for 

difficulties among “those small rural businesses or ranches which might not have or have 

limited Internet access.” An employer that participated in a focus group said, “we have some 

issues here in a rural area with our Internet service so that could be a problem.” 

Employers that lack sufficient resources or training might instead choose to use DAs. DAs are companies 

that provide E-Verify services and sometimes other services for a fee. The nonuser focus group 

participants were asked several questions about their interest in using DAs to run queries on their new 

hires through E-Verify. When asked what information they would like to know about DAs before hiring 

them, the majority of participants indicated they would like to know how much the DA would charge for 

the service. Several others said they would like to know not only if the company was competent and 

reputable, but also how quickly they could complete queries. One focus group participant went a step 

further, saying: “It would be easier [to identify] DAs if they have some sort of certification, proof they 

have gone through training, read the 61 page [user] manual, and passed some sort of test, and the 

‘government swears they know what they’re doing.’” Two others agreed, mentioning they would want 

the DA to be licensed or certified.33

3.2. Process 

As shown in Exhibit VI-4, all but 5 percent of the case study participants had a formal process in place to 

verify work authorization, and 81 percent used the Form I-9. For those employers that had the 

verification process in place, however, participating in E-Verify would involve new activities beyond the 

E-Verify process itself. Participating would also place them in compliance with the Federal requirement 

to use the Form I-9. 

Depending on the purpose of their other background checks, some employers may reduce their reliance 

on other activities by using E-Verify instead. As a rule, employers did not devote a lot of time to 

verification activities, with most employers in the study (63 percent) spending less than 15 minutes per 

 

21 Currently, DAs are required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Homeland Security, SSA, and the DA; 

complete the E-Verify Web-based tutorial; and become familiar with and comply with the E-Verify manual. (See 

http://epic.org/privacy/surveillance/spotlight/0707/mou_everify.pdf.) 
Implications of Signing Up for E-Verify for Nonusers IV

employee; for such employers, there is little potential for E-Verify to substantially reduce the time spent 

in verification. However, roughly 10 percent spent more than one hour per employee; if using E-Verify 

would lessen their time spent on verification, that time savings could be a benefit. In particular, since 

23 percent of the case study respondents verified Social Security numbers through SSA, participating in 

E-Verify might replace that process. Similarly, the 11 percent that paid another company to do 

verifications for them might stop using that vendor and start using E-Verify themselves or pay a DA to 

use E-Verify for the verification process. However, it is not clear the extent to which using E-Verify can 

be substituted for other verification procedures currently in use. One employer commented: 

I like the idea if it decreases HR administrative time and if it does not cause 

delays in hire date for those who are authorized to work (i.e., misidentification 

or system errors that result in delays are not acceptable to our clients). The 

concept of being able to identify eligibility to work over the Internet is 

conducive to our company’s multiple locations. The requirement that forms of 

verification for the I-9 must be seen in-person by a company representative is 

unreasonable in today’s marketplace. 

Some employers performed verification activities at a different time than specified by E-Verify, with 

12 percent of the case study participants asking job applicants to complete the Form I-9 and 32 percent 

saying that all job applicants have their work authorization verified. If employers use the Form I-9 to 

screen applicants, they would be required to change that timing if they participate in E-Verify; however, 

the Form I-9 also should not be used to screen applicants. Both the Form I-9 and E-Verify are to be used 

to check the work authorization of new hires, not of job applicants, and the MOU for E-Verify 

specifically prohibits using the I-9 to verify job applicants who have not accepted an offer of 

employment.. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 41 
IV Implications of Signing Up for E-Verify for Nonusers 

 42 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 43 

CHAPTER V. OPINIONS ON A MANDATORY E-VERIFY 

AND POSSIBLE PROGRAM CHANGES 

1. INTRODUCTION

As noted in the introduction to this report, many states and the Federal government have acted to make 

E-Verify participation mandatory for at least some groups of employers, and Congress is considering 

enlarging that mandate to include all employers. This section looks specifically at employers’ opinions 

concerning a mandatory E-Verify Program. Since another way of encouraging participation might be to 

make program changes that would be appealing to employers, this chapter also looks at employers’ 

opinions concerning potential changes.34 

2. MANDATING PARTICIPATION IN E-VERIFY

2.1. Support or Opposition for Mandating Participation 

In general, the employers in the case study were opposed to making participation in E-Verify 

mandatory. A majority of the case study participants either strongly opposed a mandatory program 

(25 percent) or opposed it (32 percent) (Exhibit V-1). Conversely, 25 percent supported and 17 percent 

strongly supported a mandatory program. 

Exhibit V-1. Level of Support for Making Participation in E-Verify Mandatory 

17% 

Strongly support

25%

Support

32%

Oppose

Strongly oppose

25%

17%

Strongly support

25%

Support

32%

Oppose

25%

Strongly oppose

17%

Strongly support

25%

Support

25%

Strongly oppose

 

NOTE: Number of respondents = 507. Sum does not add to 100 percent because of rounding. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

34 For simplicity, this section refers to E-Verify whether or not the survey questionnaire made specific references to E-Verify. That is, for those 

employers that indicated they were not familiar with E-Verify, the questionnaire asked for employers’ opinions about an Internet workauthorization program in general rather than specifically about E-Verify. 
V Opinions on a Mandatory E-Verify and Possible Program Changes 

Following are statements made by employers that expressed an unfavorable view of a mandate. Since 

this study was an exploratory study and does not provide precise national estimates, no attempt is made 

here to examine the implications of the suggested changes. These comments were made either as text 

included as part of the survey responses or within the focus groups. As noted earlier in this report, these 

comments are included because they provide information about employers’ perceptions, whether or not 

those perceptions are correct. 

• Some employers expressed a general objection to a mandatory program. For example, 

one focus group participant said: “If E-Verify turns out to be efficient and saves time then 

everyone will start talking about it and using it, just like the Internet. Because if it works, 

it’s all the advertisement you need. You don’t have to have a law to do it.” 

• Others saw reasons for making E-Verify mandatory for certain groups of employers 

but not for all employers. Some respondents suggested that E-Verify could be made 

mandatory for employers that have had violations with hiring illegal immigrants, for large 

employers, or for those in certain geographic regions. One focus group participant 

recommended limiting the Program to some states, particularly those with an influx of 

people who are not authorized to work. Another focus group participant added that it should 

be mandatory for specific industries—all service industries and the construction industry. 

• Requiring small employers to participate was particularly an issue. One survey 

respondent said, “Making it mandatory to smaller companies that have one person in their 

HR Department, such as ours, is quite disconcerting.” Mississippi earlier recognized the 

greater potential difficulties facing small employers and is phasing in mandated participation 

more slowly for smaller than for large employers. Utah chose to exempt small employers 

from a mandate; it recently enacted legislation requiring private employers with 15 or more 

employees to participate as of July 1, 2010. 

• One survey respondent was concerned that a mandatory program would increase 

identity theft. “Making use of technology to mandatorily verify employment would 

probably cause a rise in identity theft as those who are not legal to work in this country 

would need those documents to pass a screening. If we had picture ID matching or tools to 

help verify the validity of a document that would be more helpful. It’s hard to fake a picture 

if we had access to that kind of database. Although such information can also potentially be 

abused by certain individuals if not carefully implemented.” 

• Another employer questioned whether a mandatory program could be enforced. This 

focus group participant said that “the government cannot [en]force the laws we have now 

that prohibit people from entering the country illegally.” 

In contrast, other employers were supportive of mandating participation. 

• Some liked a mandatory program so nonparticipants would not have a competitive 

advantage. A focus group participant noted that “it makes a level playing field if all hotels 

are doing E-Verify. I don’t have to worry about the fact I’m not going to get qualified 

candidates because they’re scared of the process.” A survey respondent said: “As long as 

the process is the same for everyone, then the loopholes discovered by people who are not 

 44 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Opinions on a Mandatory E-Verify and Possible Program Changes V

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 45 

authorized to work will also be foisted on everyone, thereby not penalizing any one group of 

employers for wrongly hiring workers.” 

• Some also questioned the value of making geographic distinctions. One focus group 

participant commented that there are unauthorized workers using fraudulent documentation 

in every state so a mandatory verification program should be required in all areas (though 

that employer opposed mandating participation for small employers). 

• One survey respondent mentioned the hope of merging all mandated worker 

background checks and reporting into a single process. It suggested that E-Verify 

“replace all the state-wide newly hired programs out there used to fight child support 

skippers.”35 

Some employers expressed the opinion that E-Verify by itself would not address the immigration 

issue. These employers believe they are complying with the current laws as well as they can and they are 

the ones burdened along with the undocumented workers for a failure on the part of the Federal 

government to enact comprehensive immigration reform. One employer commented: 

When I first opened and I asked if they were citizens, they all answered yes and 

had work histories years in this town with other companies. I felt confident that 

these large companies knew far more than me about this. Then when they later 

felt bad and told me the truth I was informed by our inconsistent government 

that I could not ask to see their Social Security number nor fire them because of 

this. So this is good except it should be used before they are hired so they do 

not go home happy about a job and use this to rent or buy things on credit that 

they need and then it all comes crashing down. It makes me the villain, me the 

one who will be fined, etc. I forget, will clemency come next week or next 

election or—well—you get the idea. We do not keep them out—we feed them, 

we provide medical care, we educate, but do not let them work. They have tax 

numbers and all have paid taxes and the pay is equivalent to others. 

Some employers viewed a mandatory program as diverting a government responsibility to 

businesses. One employer commented: “At the moment, the laws required to verify employment are 

simple. Making too many steps that are mandatory would be cumbersome. Bottom line, there are better 

ways to curb illegal immigration than trying to make the burden of the employers go up.” 

Some doubted whether E-Verify was really necessary given that there are other ways of identifying 

unauthorized workers. “If a company accepted a fraudulent Social Security card say, for example, 

because it appeared genuine on the surface, they would receive a “mismatch letter” anyway from Social 

Security and at that point the employee would be directed to go to Social Security and return with 

something that verified the number they initially provided.36 Either way, it would catch up with an 

 

35 The nonuser was referencing a Federal requirement that all employers submit information on new hires to their state to more effectively locate 

noncustodial parents and establish and enforce child support orders. See 

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/newhire/employer/publication/nhreporting/nhreporting.htm#generalissues. 

36 This may depend on whether the number is invalid, fails to match the name, or the employee has assumed the identity of someone with a 

correctly matched name and number, and on how long one waits for the fraud to be identified. 
V Opinions on a Mandatory E-Verify and Possible Program Changes 

employee providing a false Social Security card that appears to be real when hired. As long as a company 

is following the law and I-9 guidelines to the best of their ability, they should not be made to participate 

in a potential time-consuming program and made to feel like they are under a microscope.” 

Another objection was based on the fear of the impact of making errors. “I feel strongly that the 

program should not be mandatory. There are too many data entry errors that could occur considering 

there would be multiple parties involved in the verification process. If a mismatch did occur, the process 

involved through E-Verify is too time-consuming and also may attach a stigma to an employee that is 

perfectly legal.” 

2.2. Relationship Between Support/Opposition and Employer Characteristics 

The greater the percentage of new hires who are short term or temporary, the less likely employers are to 

support a mandatory program. Among employers with no new short-term or temporary workers, 52 

percent supported a mandatory program, compared with 39 percent among those for whom more than 40 

percent of the new hires were short-term or temporary (Exhibit V-2). No clear pattern emerged with 

regard to other employer characteristics. With regard to industry type, the differences were too small to 

be meaningful. A larger difference appeared with respect to size, with medium-sized employers giving 

higher support than either small or large employers (54 percent versus 41 percent of small employers and 

37 percent of large employers); however, the lack of a consistent pattern as employer size increases 

suggests that other factors must be important. 

Exhibit V-2. Percent of Nonusers Favoring a Mandatory Internet Verification Program, 

by Employer Characteristics 

39

45

52

44

42

48

37

54

41

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

41-100

1-40

None

All other industries

Industries likely to employ undocumented workers

Employment/temporary agencies

100 or more employees

15–99 employees

2–14 employees

Percent of new hires 

who were short-term 

or temporary Industry type Size

Percent

NOTE: Number of respondents = 2 to 14 employees, 66; 15 to 99 employees, 102; 100 or more employees, 119; 

employment/temporary help agencies, 54; industries likely to employ undocumented workers, 89; all other industries, 144; no 

short-term/temporary new hires, 85; 1-40 percent short-term/temporary new hires, 82; 41-100 percent short-term/temporary new 

hires, 77. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

T 46 he Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Opinions on a Mandatory E-Verify and Possible Program Changes V

2.3. Other Opinions About E-Verify 

Nonusers’ opposition to mandating participation in E-Verify should not be interpreted as 

opposition to the Program itself. In fact, the case study participants expressed several positive opinions 

about E-Verify. 

• Essentially all (95 percent) agreed that a mandatory E-Verify/verification program would be 

beneficial if it provides help in identifying fraudulent documents (Exhibit V-3). 

• About four-fifths (79 percent) said a mandatory program would decrease the number of 

undocumented immigrants working in the United States. 

• Many also saw a benefit if the program resulted in eliminating the paper Form I-9 

(71 percent). 

• Very few (13 percent) saw a mandatory program as unfairly targeting undocumented 

immigrants who must work. 

Nonusers’ opposition instead was with the idea of mandating E-Verify for all employers: most (62 

percent) said the Program would not be useful to some types of employers. 

Exhibit V-3. Case Study Participants’ Opinions on E-Verify in General 

13

79

95

71

62

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

A mandatory program unfairly targets undocumented 

immigrants who must work

A mandatory program would decrease the number of 

undocumented immigrants working in the United States

An Internet program would be beneficial if it provides 

help in identifying fraudulent documents

An Internet program should eliminate the need for the 

paper Form I-9

This type of program would not be useful to some types 

of companies

Percent that agree or strongly agree

This type of program would not be useful to 

some types of companies

An Internet program should eliminate the need

for the paper Form I-9

An Internet program would be beneficial if it provides 

help in identifying fraudulent documents

A mandatory program would decrease the number of

undocumented immigrants working in the United States

A mandatory program unfairly targets 

undocumented immigrants who must work

NOTE: Number of respondents = 507. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 47 
V Opinions on a Mandatory E-Verify and Possible Program Changes 

 48 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify

Employers that participated in the focus groups mentioned that identity fraud was a problem. One 

employer said she usually examines picture IDs, which generally help in identifying the worker. Another 

employer (from the hotel industry) commented that she “never had a problem with picture IDs, but 

[falsified] Social Security cards and passports are rampant.”37 One employer provided a different 

perspective about identity fraud saying: “I don’t really worry about it because again, I’m filling out my 

I-9, I’m doing what I’m supposed to do as an employer, I’m doing it in good faith.” 

Several employers commented on the prospect of E-Verify replacing the paper Form I-9.38 One 

commented: “Eliminating (or at least simplifying) the I-9 form might be good as it would ‘switch’ one 

process for another, and not adding and increasing time spent on the verification process. A suggestion 

would be a reference number that’s given and needs to be tracked by the employer (on a simplified I-9 

form).” Another complained that the paper I-9 made it harder to coordinate work across multiple offices, 

while an electronic form could be shared more easily. Some employers in the focus groups also indicated 

they would be more likely to use E-Verify/a verification program if such participation eliminated the need 

to use the paper Form I-9. Otherwise, it seemed redundant to them to use both methods for verification. 

3. POSSIBLE PROGRAM CHANGES

Nonusers were asked about potential new features of E-Verify to determine which features were 

desirable. All of the proposed changes received more support than opposition, typically by a large 

amount. In particular, four received support by more than 90 percent of the case study participants who 

provided an opinion (Exhibit V-4): 

• 95 percent support the increased use of technology to identify fraudulent documents; 

• 95 percent support allowing a formal appeal by an employer and/or employee; 

• 93 percent support allowing verification of job applicants before a hiring decision is made; 

and 

• 92 percent support increasing the use of technology to verify identity.39

Only one statement received substantial opposition, with 36 percent against requiring verification of all 

employees (rather than just the newly hired); still, roughly two-thirds of the case participants favored such 

a change. 

 

37 This comment reflects the respondent’s own experience and perceptions. Quantifying the extent of fraud is difficult since it may not always be 

detected. The FTC reported that one type of fraud, identity theft, was the number one complaint for 2009 in its Consumer Sentinel Network. 

See: http://ftc.gov/sentinel/reports/sentinel-annual-reports/sentinel-cy2009.pdf. 

38 This is consistent with a recommendation of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman that the paper Form I-9 be replaced for 

employers who voluntarily use E-Verify. See http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/uscis_response_cis_ombudsman_recommendation_38.pdf. 

39 The first and last of these four are highly similar but can have different applications. An example of using technology to identify fraudulent 

documents is the use of the Photo Screening Tool to identify whether immigration documents have been altered. An example of using 

technology to verify identity could be the use of biometrics such as encrypted digital fingerprints that are stored in a database. The survey did 

not provide specific definitions or give examples of each. Respondents may not have had specific examples in mind, but rather may have 

provided their general thoughts about the concepts. 
Opinions on a Mandatory E-Verify and Possible Program Changes V

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 49 

In deciding which, if any, employer suggestions should be implemented, employers’ preferences should 

be considered in light of other, potentially competing, priorities. For example, some means of identifying 

fraudulent documents or verifying identity can raise privacy concerns, and current procedures prohibiting 

verification of job applicants are based on discrimination concerns. 

Exhibit V-4. Case Study Participants’ Level of Support for Possible New Features of E-Verify 

64

77

76

85

92

93

Require verification of all employees, not just newly hired

Eliminate the need for the paper Form I-9

Require verification of job applicants before a hiring 

decision is made

Allow verification of all employees, not just newly hired

Increased use of technology to verify identity

Allow verification of job applicants before a hiring 

decision is made

Allow a formal appeal by an employer and/or employee of 

a final case finding

Increased use of technology to identify fraudulent 

documents

95

95

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110

Percent that support or strongly support

Increased use of technology to identify 

fraudulent documents

Allow a formal appeal by an employer and/or employee

of a final case finding

Allow verification of job applicants before

a hiring decision is made

Require verification of job applicants before a

hiring decision is made

NOTE: Number of respondents = 506. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

Participants in the focus groups particularly commented on allowing verification of job applicants 

before a hiring decision is made: 

• An employer from a placement agency indicated that it would like to use E-Verify for 

screening job applicants because it would not want to place a person who later received a 

Tentative Nonconfirmation (TNC).40 If a person receives a TNC, the employer would not 

want to allow the person to start work because the person may not complete his or her 

paperwork and the client could be upset if the person was not authorized to work. 

• Another employer said it “seems like you go through whole hiring process, telling other 

applicants you have already filled the position and find out they are not legal to work seems 

backwards.” 

• Another said, “if E-Verify is used to verify status that people are legal to work in the U.S., 

why isn’t it required prior to hire? You could hire someone, run a check within three days 

and on third day find out they are not legal. Then I’d have to fire them. This should be a 

 

40 See section 2 of Chapter 1 for the definition of a TNC. 
V Opinions on a Mandatory E-Verify and Possible Program Changes 

prerequisite pre-hire not post-hire. And then you pay them and have a W-2 for them for one 

or two days of work; it’s a lot of work for the employer.” 

4. CHANGES TO EMPLOYERS’ CURRENT PRACTICES

In addition to commenting on E-Verify, the case study participants were also asked what would improve 

their current processes for verifying the employment authorization of workers. 

The case study participants again showed strong support for a program such as E-Verify. Roughly 

half (48 percent) said an Internet work-authorization verification program would improve their 

verification process (Exhibit V-5).41

The other change receiving wide support was an electronic Form I-9 (43 percent). Less frequently, 

case study participants indicated that their verification process would be improved through the availability 

of Internet access where hiring decisions are made (23 percent), photo-matching (13 percent), and 

additional staff (12 percent). One focus group participant whose medium-sized company has a substantial 

number of foreign-born workers indicated that using E-Verify would be less work for them than using the 

Form I-9. 

Exhibit V-5. What Would Improve the Task of Verifying Employment Authorization of Workers 

4

6

12

13

23

43

48

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Other 

Fingerprinting or other biometrics

Additional staff

Photo-matching

Internet access where hiring decisions are made

An electronic Form I-9

An Internet work-authorization verification program

Percent

NOTES: Number of respondents = 379. Sum does not add to 100 percent because nonusers could provide more than one 

response. 

SOURCE: Employer Nonuser Survey. 

 

41 The survey question did not specify “E-Verify” because nonusers who were not familiar with E-Verify may not have been aware that E-Verify 

is an Internet work-authorization verification program. 

T 50 he Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
CHAPTER VI. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

1. INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides an overview of the major findings from the preceding sections of the report, 

followed by recommendations for expanding the use of E-Verify. 

2. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

2.1. Familiarity With E-Verify 

• Most nonusers were not familiar with the E-Verify Program. When asked about EVerify, 63 percent of the case study participants reported they were not familiar with the 

Program. Of the respondents that were familiar with E-Verify, the most commonly reported 

sources of information about E-Verify were information from professional associations, 

media coverage or advertisements, and government materials or publications. 

2.2. Barriers to Using E-Verify 

• The most frequently cited reason for reluctance to using E-Verify was that there was 

no perceived benefit. Nonusers felt that there was no reason to make the transition when 

they already had effective verification procedures. 

• The second most frequently cited reason was that E-Verify seemed too costly or timeconsuming to use. Also, many said that the transition to a new system would be too difficult 

or disruptive. Large employers and those including temporary help or employment agencies 

were more likely to express concerns about time constraints and costs. 

• Roughly one-fourth of case study participants cited difficulties such as insufficient 

skilled personnel, and roughly one-tenth of small businesses (which form 89 percent of 

all employers nationally) lacked appropriate computer resources. 

• Nonusers sometimes complained about the length of the tutorial and the need to review 

a lengthy manual prior to using the Program. 

• Though processing the I-9 also has a three-day deadline, some nonusers complained 

about the requirement to input information about new hires into E-Verify within three 

workdays of hire. Among nonusers, especially those representing small businesses, there 

were concerns about adhering to the three-day requirement. Some businesses described 

themselves as a “one-person shop,” lacking additional staff to assist with completing the 

verification process when they had competing demands at the office or faced conflicts with 

illness or vacation schedules. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 51 
VI Summary and Recommendations 

2.3. Current Verification Procedures 

• Over 80 percent of case study participants reported using the Form I-9 as part of their 

typical verification procedures; they almost always used the hardcopy rather than the 

electronic version of the document. Roughly half reported checking references, asking 

appropriate questions in the application form, and conducting background checks as part of 

their verification procedures. 

• Nonusers differed on the definition of “newly hired employee.” The primary split was 

between those who defined a new hire as a person who has started work and those who 

considered a new hire to be a person who has accepted a job offer but has not started to work 

yet. 

2.4. Opinions on a Mandatory E-Verify or Internet Verification Program 

• A majority of case study participants (58 percent) opposed a mandatory E-Verify or 

Internet verification program. Employers especially opposed a mandatory program if a 

large proportion of their workers were short term or temporary. 

• There was strong support for some of the concepts underlying E-Verify if participation 

were voluntary. When asked what would improve the task of verifying workers’ 

employment authorization, almost half of the case study participants reported that an Internet 

work-authorization verification program would be helpful. Participants reported agreement 

that an Internet verification program would be beneficial if it assisted with identifying 

fraudulent documents, decreased the number of undocumented immigrants working in the 

United States, and eliminated the need for the paper Form I-9. 

• Although the data are based on only a small number of cases, there appear to be 

substantial numbers of employers who plan to enroll in E-Verify in the future, and also 

substantial numbers who would not participate unless there is a mandate. Of those who 

responded, roughly one-fourth definitely planned to use E-Verify and roughly one-third did 

not intend to use it unless mandated to do so. 

2.5 Potential Changes to E-Verify 

Nonusers supported a number of changes to E-Verify. 

• More than 90 percent of the case study participants supported increasing the use of 

technology to identify fraudulent documents and to verify identity, allowing a formal appeal 

by an employer and/or employee, and allowing verification of job applicants before a hiring 

decision is made. 

 52 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Summary and Recommendations VI

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 53 

• Also, 85 percent supported allowing verification of all employees, and not just those who 

were newly hired employees.42

3. RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1. Awareness of E-Verify 

• Since the primary barrier to participation in E-Verify appears to be a lack of 

awareness of the Program, USCIS should increase its outreach efforts. While most 

employers were unaware of E-Verify, they tended to show support for the concepts behind 

E-Verify. One might also note that employers often mentioned learning of E-Verify through 

sources other than government publications, such as professional associations. Thus, it may 

be helpful to seek additional outlets for providing communications about E-Verify such as 

working with professional associations. 

3.2. Other Barriers to Participation 

• USCIS should look for ways of addressing the perceptions that participating in EVerify would provide no benefit and would be costly to employers. For example, some 

employers would like assurances that participating in E-Verify would protect them from 

legal liability. Also, E-Verify might look for opportunities to reduce burden further and 

appropriately communicate the actual time required to use E-Verify (since the perception of 

burden is sometimes based on experiences with other government agencies). 

3.3. Changes to E-Verify 

• Since several potential changes to E-Verify received high support, adopting some of the 

changes might both improve the Program’s popularity and increase participation rates. 

The changes that received high support were increasing the use of technology to identify 

fraudulent documents, allowing a formal appeal by an employer and/or employee of a final 

case finding, allowing verification of job applicants before a hiring decision is made, 

increasing the use of technology to verify identity, allowing verification of all employees, 

requiring verification of job applicants before a hiring decision is made, and eliminating the 

need for a paper Form I-9. One proposed change, requiring verification of all employees 

rather than just the newly hired, received strong support but also was the only change to 

receive substantial opposition; currently that option is only available to Federal contractors. 

The potential benefit of these changes should be weighed against potentially competing 

concerns such as protecting privacy and avoiding discrimination. Additionally, any changes 

should be tested and evaluated prior to full implementation.43 Some of these changes also 

require new legislation in order to be implemented. 

 

42 However, 36 percent opposed requiring verification of all employees. 

43 See Findings of the E-Verify Program Evaluation, December 2009, pp. 237-240, for more specifics regarding establishing a pilot program. 
VI Summary and Recommendations 

3.4. Mandatory Participation 

• It appears that E-Verify can obtain substantially increased participation without it 

being mandated, but that many employers will not participate without a mandate. If a 

mandate is adopted, special attention should be given to the potential for burden that would 

be imposed. E-Verify may be less applicable to businesses that are unlikely to hire 

unauthorized workers due to their location or industry, and to very small businesses, which 

reported that they often hire only U.S. citizens (perhaps family members or persons known 

to them) and rarely hire new employees. 

 54 The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
APPENDIX A. 

STATUS OF STATE LEGISLATION RELATED TO E-VERIFY AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2010 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify A-1 
 A-2

 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
Summary and Recommendations VI

APPENDIX A. 

STATUS OF STATE LEGISLATION RELATED TO E-VERIFY AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2010 

Current requirement Pending legislation1 

State State 

employees 

State 

contractors 

All 

employers 

State 

employees 

State 

contractors 

All 

employers 

Arizona 9 9 9

Colorado 9 9 

Connecticut 9 9 

Delaware 9 9 

Georgia 9 9 

Idaho 9 

Illinois 9 9 9 

Kansas 9 9 

Louisiana 9 9 

Massachusetts 9 9 9 

Michigan 9 9 

Minnesota 9 9 9 

Mississippi 9 9 9

Missouri 9 9 

Nebraska 9 9 

New Jersey 9 9 9 

New York 9 9 

North Carolina 9 9 9 

Ohio 9 9 9 

Oklahoma 9 9 

Pennsylvania 9 9 9 

Rhode Island 9 9 9

Tennessee 9 9 9 

Utah 9 9 9 

Virginia2 9 

West Virginia 9 

Wisconsin 9 9 

1Pending legislation bills introduced may or may not be enacted or passed. 

2Legislation goes into effect December 1, 2012. 

NOTE: Four states adopted legislation that influences the use of E-Verify without mandating participation. Arkansas forbids 

state agencies and contractors from hiring illegal workers. South Carolina requires that all employers within the state check the 

employment eligibility of new hires using E-Verify or by checking a new hire’s state driver’s license. Pennsylvania forbids state 

agencies and contractors from hiring illegal workers and provides that E-Verify participation protects public contractor 

employers from prosecution. Tennessee suspends an employer’s business license if they knowingly hire an unauthorized alien 

and provides that E-Verify participation protects employers from prosecution. 

SOURCE: USCIS, Verification Division, E-Verify State Legislative Updates, November 2010. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify 3 
 A-4

 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify
APPENDIX B. 

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES 

NOTE: Because the skip patterns on the Web survey increased the complexity of the questionnaire, the mail version was 

simplified. Some questions on the Web survey were not included on the mail questionnaire, and the skip patterns were largely 

removed. Both versions of the questionnaires are provided here. 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify B-1 
 B-2

 

The Practices and Opinions of Employers 

Who Do Not Participate in E-Verify