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Must an employer verify the citizenship or right to work of employees?

Yes, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990 requires employers to ask employees to present certain original documents to establish their identity and employment eligibility within 3 business days of the date their employment begins, and to verify on INS Form I-9 that they are eligible to be employed in the U.S. (If the person is being hired for 3 or fewer days this must be done immediately when starting work.)

Employers are responsible for examining the acceptable original documents. (The only exception is a certified copy of a birth certificate.) However an employer may not ask for more documents than is reasonable as that sometimes is a pretext for illegel discrimination.