U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services Adds Passport Data for E-Verify for Foreign-born U.S. Citizens

In September 2007, an evaluation of the E-Verify employment authorization program found that foreign born U.S. citizens were more likely to receive mismatches or Tentative Non-confirmations (TNCs) than U.S. born citizens. In an effort to reduce the incidences of TNCs among foreign born U.S. citizens, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) incorporated Department of State passport data into the E-Verify program.

If the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Social Security Administration (SSA) is unable to confirm a U.S. citizen’s work eligibility, the USCIS can now check Department of State records prior to issuing a TNC. If the citizenship information provided in the Form I-9 matches those records, E-Verify will confirm the individual’s work authorization.

Moreover, foreign-born U.S. citizens who do receive TNCs may call the USCIS directly instead of visiting an SSA office to resolve their case. More than 60 percent of foreign-born U.S. citizens who have received a TNC have chosen this option and of those, more than 90 percent have received a final determination of work authorization via telephone.