Attachment B - Text for Respondent Brochure

ATTACHMENT B: TEXT FOR RESPONDENT BROCHURES

• Brochure to nonusers

• Arizona employer fact sheet

• Brochure for Arizona workers

T

Evaluation of E-Verify: Survey of Non-Users

About the Study

Importance of the Study

Survey Topics

Endorsements

he E-Verify Survey of Non-Users is part of an ongoing effort to evaluate and improve the
E-Verify program (described below). It is a nationally representative study of businesses that have never used E-Verify. The survey is being conducted by Westat, an independent research firm, under contract to the U.S. Citizenship and

I mmigration Services (USCIS). The survey will be conducted during the summer of 2009, and a final report of the findings will be released soon thereafter. All information you provide in the survey will be considered private and only aggregate data will be used when producing reports.

Businesses’ use of E-Verify has increased tremendously in recent years, both through voluntary enrollments and in response to state legal requirements. Many states now require at least some groups of employers to participate, and a few states require all employers to participate. Congress is also considering a national requirement for all businesses to participate.

Although much is known about the experiences of employers that are using the E‑Verify system, little is known about how requiring participation would

a ffect employers that do not currently use it. Also, little information is available about why businesses do not choose to participate in E-Verify.

To make effective policy decisions, policymakers need information from employers on their needs and concerns. This survey gives you a chance to comment on whether participation should be mandatory, and also to provide information to help make E-Verify a better program whether or not it is made mandatory.

To help understand issues that may be important to non-users, the survey asks about the following topics:

• The impact on employers currently not using the program if E-Verify were to become mandatory,

• Reasons employers do not use the E-Verify program now,

• Employer attitudes about various current and potential future features of the E-Verify program, and

• Current employer practices for verifying authorization to work.

The following organizations have taken a variety of positions on the E-Verify program. One thing they agree on, however, is the need for more information. All of them urge you to complete the survey.

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce

• Society for Human Resources Management

• American Payroll Association

• National Small Business Association

Following are selected statements from these organizations.

[Quotation 1 here]

[name and title of person being quoted], U.S. Chamber of Commerce

[Quotation 2 here]

[name and title of person being quoted], Society for Human Resources Management

I strongly urge you to complete this survey. By speaking out, we can influence whether E-Verify is a help or a burden.

Scott Mezistrano

Senior Manager, Government Relations

American Payroll Association

E-Verify stands to significantly impact many small businesses. This survey will give small-business owners the opportunity to weigh-in and influence the future of E-Verify. Please complete this survey now and have your voice heard.

Todd McCracken

President

National Small Business Association

I don’t know much about E-Verify. Why are you surveying me?

L

Frequently Asked Questions

About E-Verify

For Additional Information

earning what you know about the E‑Verify program is very valuable information. Please do not “study up” on the program to give an informed position on E-Verify. We need to know what non-participating employers know and think about the program right now. If there is a lack of information about the program, or if there is misinformation, policymakers need to know that.

What will you do with the information you collect?

The program will use the data to make improvements. Earlier evaluation reports have been cited in congressional hearings about the program. A sample past report can be found at: http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/
WebBasicPilotRprtSept2007.pdf.

W ouldn’t it make more sense to survey users than non-users?

The program has undergone continuous evaluation of users since it began, including through surveys of users. However, only a small percentage of businesses currently use the E‑Verify program. Policymakers would like to know more about why other businesses have not chosen to participate. Only non-users can answer questions about that.

Is the information I provide really private?

Your responses will go directly to Westat, an independent research firm, and not the government. Your responses will not be individually shared with the government, nor will you be identified in any way to anyone not on Westat’s evaluation team. All information collected in this survey will be treated as private, to the extent allowed by law.

E-Verify (known in the law as the Basic Pilot program) is an internet-based system that allows participating employers to determine whether their newly hired employees are authorized to work in the United States. It compares information on

t he Employment Eligibility Verification Form (Form I-9) to information from the Social Security Administration and the USCIS databases.

Contact Westat at *** or USCIS at ***.

Fact Sheet for the Arizona On-Site Visit
STUDY OF EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY (SEE)

2009

The purpose of this very important research project, Study of Employment Eligibility (SEE), is to help the U. S. government better understand the experiences of employers and workers with the job application process.

Because your company has used the E-Verify program, you have important insight about the program’s implementation, usefulness, efficiency, and performance. The on-site visits will collect information not covered in other methods used for the study.

A Westat researcher will conduct an interview with your company’s representative(s) responsible for the E-Verify program to gather opinions about key aspects of the program. The interview will take about two hours and will include an observation of system-use.

The researchers will examine Form I-9s and the related records completed by workers who received tentative nonconfirmations. Other than pulling these records ahead of time, the review process will require little to no direct time of your company’s staff.

The person in your company who participates in the interview should be most knowledgeable about your company’s hiring and verification processes, use of the E-Verify system, and filing system of Form I-9s.

We will provide you with a list of workers receiving recent tentative nonconfirmations in advance of the visit. We ask that you please pull these records before the scheduled site visit. Only Form I-9s and related documents (e.g., tentative nonconfirmation notices, referral letters, etc.) for these workers need to be accessible. Information from the Form I-9s will be used to assess the databases that verify work authorization.

This is an opportunity to contribute your valuable experience and opinions to an effort of great national significance. Your participation in the study and the information we collect will be kept private, to the extent permitted by law. The survey reports will contain only aggregate data and not any information that might be used to identify you or your company.

ARIZONA WORKER BROCHURE

(FRONT COVER)

Study of Employment Eligibility

INSIDE

About the Study

On January 1, 2008, the Legal Arizona Workers Act went into effect in Arizona. This law requires that all employers in the state use the E-Verify program. E-Verify is used by employers to check some of the information that workers give them when they are hired.

The purpose of this project, the Study of Employment Eligibility (SEE), is to help the U.S. government better understand what Arizona employers do when they hire new workers.

You have a chance to tell us about how you applied for employment and share your thoughts and opinions about the process.

To say thank you for your participation in the SEE study, you will receive a cash gift of $25 after completing the interview.

Why do you want to talk to ME?

You were one of the many people who recently applied to, or worked for, a company or office in Arizona. You were chosen for this study because we want to learn what happened when you applied for a job. Your experience is very important to us.

The information you give us is private, to the extent permitted by law. Your name and the name of your company will not be used to identify you.

Who is Westat?

Westat, a private research company based in Rockville, Maryland, is conducting this study about the E-Verify program in Arizona. The study will look at how well the program is working in Arizona and what could be done to help it work better.

How long will the interview take?

We know that you are busy, but the interview will take only about one hour of your time. Someone from Westat will ask you questions and record your answers as quickly as possible.

How will my answers be used?

Your answers will be put together with those from other people like you and will be used to make the program better. Only Westat staff who are working on this study will see your answers. All of your answers will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. We will not use your name or other information to personally identify you in any way.

Why should I participate?

You can choose to answer the questions or not answer the questions for this study. We hope you will choose to answer the questions, as your participation will help us learn more about the program. To thank you, you will receive a cash gift of $25 after completing the interview.

Why is this study important?

This study will help us learn how the use of E-Verify in Arizona affects people like you. This study gives you a chance to share your opinions and tell us about what it is like to apply for a job at a company in this state. Based on your answers and the answers of other people, Westat will describe the results of the study. These results will be used to improve the E-Verify program.

BACK COVER

For more information, please contact Westat:

Telephone: 1-XXXXXXX (phone # outstanding)

Fax: 301-294-3992

E-mail: [email protected]

Interviewer:

Telephone: ( ) -

LOGO HERE

Westat

1650 Research Blvd.

Rockville, MD 20850

www.westat.com

This study is sponsored by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.