Orlando Sentinel (Florida) (02/09/12) Laura Newberry

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has expanded its E-Verify program’s “Self Check” service to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. In states with large immigrant populations, like Arizona, California, and Texas, the service has been in use since March 2011. The self-check feature enables prospective employees to immediately determine whether government agency databases accurately reflect their employment eligibility. Alejandro Mayorkas, director of USCIS, says, “It reduces the burden on the employer. The likelihood of verification is accomplished well beforehand.”