Philadelphia Immigration Lawyers assist Employers with Immigrant and Non-immigrant Employees

Help for Employers and Human Resources

In 1986, Congress enacted the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants and to keep illegal immigrants from receiving government benefits. IRCA includes:

• Requiring employers to attest to their employees’ immigration status
• Making it illegal to employ unauthorized immigrants
• Granting amnesty to certain seasonal agricultural immigrants
• Granting amnesty to immigrants continuously residing in the United States since before January 1, 1982

Completing the I-9 and Protection against Discrimination

As a result of IRCA all employers must complete a Form 1-9 for every employee hired, regardless of citizenship. Employees must provide employers with documents to prove citizenship. Employers must review these documents for verification and the information must be recorded on the I-9. Employers must keep the I-9 forms for three years or one year after employment ends, whichever is longer. An immigration attorney in Philadelphia can help you sort through these complicated forms.

Many feared that IRCA and the I-9 requirement would lead to discrimination based on national origin and citizen status. However, the government has ensured the rights of people from all nationalities against this type of discrimination.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) for F-1 Students

Effective April 2008, employers can offer OPT temporary work to an F-1 student that is directly related to the student’s area of study. As a part of pre-completion OPT, employers can offer full-time work when school is not in session and part-time work when it is, once a student is enrolled for a full academic year. Post-completion OPT may be offered upon completion of full-time F-1 studies.

Philadelphia Immigration Lawyers Explain your Rights

A skilled Philadelphia immigration law attorney can help you ensure that your records are accurate and complete. At Surin & Griffin, P.C., we are experienced in working with human resources departments and managers on a variety of immigrant and non-immigrant employee issues. Our immigration lawyers in Philadelphia can help you comply with all government regulations, keep you up to date on any changes and represent you in any immigration matters.