Site Visit Introductory Email Letter

ATTACHMENT D:

WESTAT SITE VISIT INTRODUCTORY EMAIL LETTER

FOR EMPLOYERS

From: E-Verify Evaluation [mailto: [email protected]]
Sent: (Date and time)
To: (Name of E-Verify employer contact person)
Subject: E-Verify Study of Employment Eligibility

Dear Employer:

 

Westat, an independent research firm based in Rockville, Maryland, is currently conducting the Study of Employment Eligibility (SEE) and will evaluate the E-Verify work-authorization program under contract with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).   

 

As part of our evaluation, we will conduct site visits with various employers to see how the E-Verify Program is working.  Since your company has been selected as a study site, you will have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback on the E-Verify Program and how it might be improved.  The knowledge gained from this evaluation will help inform the future direction of employment verification in this country. Attached to this email is a letter from DHS describing this evaluation and requesting your participation in our evaluation activities. 

 

We hope your company will agree to participate in this important study, but taking part is your choice. Please note that this evaluation is NOT an audit of the E-Verify Program or your company’s use of the Program.  If you agree to participate, a Westat researcher will visit your site to conduct the following activities:

 

 An interview with the person who is most knowledgeable about your work-authorization process including E-Verify (approximately two hours);

 An observation of the E-Verify system with the person who uses it most regularly, (approximately 15–20 minutes); and

 A review of Forms I-9 and related records for some persons at your company who have received Tentative Nonconfirmation findings (TNCs).  (The interviewer may perform this review on his or her own, but you will be asked to pull the records for the interviewer from a list we will send you in advance of the site visit.)

In addition, on our own time, we plan to contact multiple workers from your company who have received TNC findings to speak with them about their experiences with this process.  This includes asking them questions about their understanding of the TNC notice and their experiences in contacting the Social Security Administration or DHS.  We plan to conduct these interviews at their homes or other mutually acceptable locations.

 

Your participation in the study and the information we collect will be kept private, to the extent permitted by law.  Westat will not share any information about your company or its use of the Program with DHS, any other government agency, or anyone else. The survey reports will contain only summary results and not include any information that might be used to identify you or your company. Attached is a fact sheet that provides answers to questions you might have.

 

A staff member from Westat will call you within the next few days to discuss your participation as an evaluation site and answer any questions you may have.  In the meantime, you may email us at [email protected] or call us at 1-888-808-1028. 

 Thank you in advance for your help with this important project. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Denise Glover, Ph.D.

Project Director, Evaluation of the E-Verify Program

Westat

1600 Research Boulevard, TA 2128

Rockville, MD 20850