E-Verify gets Web site makeover to boost efficiency

Employers using the E-Verify federal online work eligibility verification system can now access the system through a newly redesigned Web interface, officials said today.

The E-Verify system is operated by U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) in cooperation with the Social Security Administration. It allows employers to submit Social Security numbers for prospective employees to verify those applicants are eligible to work in the United States. In September 2009, federal contractors were required to begin using the system.

The E-Verify home page and more than 200 Web pages on the E-Verify site for employers and contractors have been re-engineered to improve the user experience, ease navigation and enhance security, USCIS said in a news release. The site is accessible only to registered employers.

The redesigned Web interface also allows for masking Social Security Numbers to minimize fraudulent use, the agency said.

All current E-Verify users are required to complete the updated tutorial instructing how to use the new site. The tutorial takes about 20 minutes to complete, the agency said.

The E-Verify system, previously known as Basic Pilot, has processed about 11 million requests since October 2009. Currently about 208,000 employers are using the system.

The E-Verify system has been controversial because it does not detect errors related to identity theft. A recent study showed that the system error rate for unauthorized workers is approximately 54 percent, according to the Westat research firm.