by Amber L. Blasingame, Managing Attorney

Whether you are onboarding foreign nationals or US workers, having a working knowledge of immigration law, related agencies, visas and status, and processes is crucial for human resource specialists in the global labor market of the 21st Century. Immigration laws not only define immigrants in the United States but also US Citizens. Specifically, immigration law designates who is eligible to work, visit, and reside in the United States.

Even if you never venture into hiring foreign nationals, as a human resource specialist, you should be familiar with worksite compliance. Onboarding any employee hired on or after November 6, 1986, requires the proper completion, maintenance, and retention of a Form I-9 Employment Authorization Verification form. This form, the related laws and regulations, manuals, and processes are all governed under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

As the gatekeeper for any business, Human Resources Specialists must ensure that all employees are authorized to work in the United States. A good human resource specialist will learn to not only recognize US worker documents but also nonimmigrant (temporary) and immigrant (permanent) worker documents.

Most importantly, learning about immigration law and worksite compliance will help Human Resource Specialists recognize when to reach out to an Immigration Attorney to assist with more complex immigration and compliance matters.