Approximately 6.6 million employment verification queries under the E-Verify program were run during FY 2008, compared to 3.27 million in FY 2007, reports U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The E-Verify program provides participating employers an automated Internet-based resource to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. More than 92,000 employers are currently using E-Verify to verify that their new hires are authorized to work in the United States, says USCIS.

The Department of Homeland Security’s appropriation legislation for 2009 provides $100 million to continue, expand, and improve E-Verify in FY 2009. Of all queries received, final nonconfirmations (meaning not work-authorized) are 3.5 percent; down from 5.3 percent, USCIS reports.