Author: admin

E-Verify Receives High Ratings in Customer Survey

Online employee verification program lauded for ease of use, customer support

Released Feb. 21, 2013

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas today announced that users of E-Verify, the free Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States, have given the program high marks in a recent customer survey.

More than 1,300 randomly selected employers across the nation who use E-Verify evaluated key program aspects, including registration, the online tutorial, ease of use, technical assistance and customer service. They rated the program as exceptionally high in overall customer satisfaction, with an average score of 86 out of 100 on the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) scale.

“We are proud of the advancements we have made in the E-Verify program,” said Director Mayorkas. “This customer survey validates the success of our efforts, which we have undertaken in collaboration with the business and labor communities and other key stakeholders.”

CFI Group, a consulting firm specializing in customer satisfaction measurements, conducted the survey. According to CFI Group’s latest figures, the average score for government agencies is 67.

Other key survey findings revealed that the overwhelming majority of users were:

•Likely to recommend E-Verify to other employers;

•Confident in E-Verify’s accuracy; and

•Likely to continue using the program.

With E-Verify, almost all employees are automatically confirmed as authorized to work. More than 99 percent of work-authorized employees are automatically confirmed as employment authorized.

President Obama’s recent commonsense immigration reform proposal includes stricter penalties for companies that hire undocumented workers. Employer enrollment in E-Verify has more than doubled since January 2009, with more than 432,000 participating companies representing more than 1.3 million hiring sites. Approximately 1,500 new employers enroll each week. More than 20 million queries were processed in E-Verify during FY 2012, allowing businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. Thus far during FY 2013, more than 8.4 million queries have been run through the system.

 

 

 

 

 

Notary Public Census. The Numbers Are In. How will this effect your business?

Recently the National Notary Association (NNA) released its official 2012 Census of Notaries in the United States.  The recent recession has helped to account for a 9.3% decline in the number of licensed notary publics over the last five years.  It is the first decline since the NNA began conducting the census in 1972.

The collapse of the mortgage market has hit the nation’s mobile notaries hard.  Once it was common for a traveling notary to earn $3,000 to $6,000 per month without putting much effort towards marketing themselves.  Now there are only a few that are still able to have their notary business as their primary source of income.

Providing traveling notary services to our nation’s businesses has been effected as well.  With limited notaries comes an increased cost and limited scheduling options.  Before the mortgage collapse, it was quite simple to book a notary for an appointment and businesses had many notaries to choose to work with.

Today finding traveling notaries for popular appointment times, such as weekday services or short notice appointments, can have disappointing results.  Those that are available have higher fees or little to no experience, making the management of scheduling and management of their mobile notary service providers a challenge.

For many, outsourcing the scheduling and management of their notary requests has become an attractive alternative to an in house operation.  Benefits include cost control, improved communications and utilization of in house staff.  Outsourcing does not come without risks and asking a few probing questions of the service provider you are considering can help you in choosing a service provider to work with.

How long has the company been in business?

It’s a simple enough question, but one that’s important.  There are hundreds of nationwide mobile notary service providers (aka signing services or scheduling services) out there and you can put them into 2 categories.  First are the services that started before the mortgage crash, then those that started after.  Those businesses that started before the crash and weathered the storm are more likely to have better systems and stronger relationships with their clients and notaries than those who started after.

What segment does the service provider focus on, if any?

For some companies, a focus on mortgage closings is key.  While some need I-9 certification for remote hires, others have out of state vehicle deliveries.  Very few of the mobile notary signing services have any type of industry focus.  Most will provide services for mortgage loans, wills, I-9 verification, Trust documents and even taking pictures of homes and cars.  Those that are focused on the industry will have an understanding of your particular needs and be better able to adapt to changes in the market place.

What geographic area does the notary service cover?

Not all notary signing services offer nationwide coverage.  Some are regional, others are local and others offer services in both the United States and Canada.

What are their internet and e-mail security protocols?

Whether you’re placing orders or sending documents, chances are that at some point you will be providing non public information to your service provider through e-mail or web portal.  You need to know what, if any, security measures are in place to protect your information.

Company web sites should only transmit non public information through SSL and use e-mail encryption.

Web sites that are hosted on dedicated servers, rather than a shared hosting environment, are also more secure and in some cases required.

Ask the companies that you are considering, who their SSL vendor is and if they run any penetration testing of their website and database.

Are their notary vendors background screened?

While most states require applicants to pass a background check prior to becoming a Notary Public, those companies that require additional screening will ensure that the notaries that they work with are licensed and free from any criminal history.

Asking a few questions of the mobile notary signing service providers that you are considering will provide you with a better understanding of how the company can meet your needs.  It will also provide you with more confidence in the decision you have made.

N3 Notary 2013.  For information purposes only.

 

 

 

 

 

From the ICE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Website

From the ICE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Website

Houston-based company admits to hiring illegal aliens, Agrees to forfeit $2 million

HOUSTON – ABC Professional Tree Services Inc. (ABC) has agreed to adhere to revised immigration compliance procedures and to pay $2 million as forfeited funds to the Department of Homeland Security related to revenue derived from the employment of illegal aliens. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson,

Southern District of Texas, along with Robert Rutt, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

For its part, the United States has agreed not to criminally prosecute the company. ABC is a Houston-based company that provides right of way vegetation management for electric utilities in more than a dozen states. HSI agents in Birmingham, Ala., began investigating ABC in early 2008 following complaints that a significant portion of the company’s employees were undocumented aliens. In March 2008, agents conducted traffic stops on ABC crews and detained employees who were determined to be unlawfully present in the United States.

In June 2008, agents reviewed the Employment Eligibility Verification Forms (I-9s) and supporting documentation for about 2,500 employees at ABC. The inspection revealed a significant number of employees, when hired, had presented invalid personal identification information. Later, HSI agents determined that, as of the second quarter of 2009, about 30 percent of the company’s workforce consisted of undocumented aliens.

HSI agents executed a federal search warrant at ABC’s Houston headquarters on March 4, 2010, seizing documentary evidence including employment and personnel records. At that time, agents detained undocumented aliens who were on site at the headquarters. On that same day, agents in Birmingham detained more undocumented

ABC employees during a traffic stop.

The government’s investigation revealed ABC had, for years, ignored federal law by falsely attesting on I-9s that work authorization documents presented by new hires appeared genuine. In addition, for several years, ABC had received notices from the Social Security Administration known as “no-match letters,” and similar information from the company’s payroll processor, both of which indicated employee names and Social Security numbers did not match SSA records.

The company failed to take corrective measures, resulting in the continued employment of the undocumented aliens. ABC derived at least $2 million in revenue from the provision of services to electrical utilities with its illegal workforce from 2006 through 2011. This figure represents the amount of money that ABC will forfeit under its non-prosecution agreement with the government.

Since becoming aware of the government’s investigation, ABC has remediated its workforce and imposed significant immigration compliance measures. Since September 2008, ABC has used E-verify, a database administered by the federal government, to verify the employment eligibility of new hires. Beginning in the fall of 2008, the company also revised its immigration compliance procedures to include new policies concerning the proper completion, retention and auditing of I-9s and for responding to SSA No Match letters. As part of its commitment to complying with the law, ABC also terminated hundreds of undocumented workers.

Assistant United States Attorney David Searle, Southern District of Texas, handled the case.

N3 Notary For informational purposes only.

 

 

 

 

 

I-9 Form Employer Compliance

It is a legal requirement of any employer that a Form I-9 be completed to establish the identity and work authorization status of any employee hired after November 7th 1986.

An employee must complete the I-9 Form within 3 business days of the employees start date.

Within the I-9 Form are 3 sections.  Section 1 is the responsibility of the employee to fill out.  Section 2 and 3 are the responsibility of the employers to complete accurately.

Employers may appoint an Authorized agent to complete section 2 of the I-9 Form on their behalf.  Typically a Notary Public is used I-9 From verification for remote employees, as their reputation for being impartial and trustworthy has already been established.  Its important note that when using an authorized agent, it is still the legal responsibility of the employer to ensure that section 2 of the I-9 is completed correctly.

In the event of an audit, Federal Agents will ask to inspect and employers I-9 Forms.  An audit will identify areas of concern, that may lead to technical violation or more serious substantive violations.

A technical violation would be, neglecting to assure  that an employee has entered in their maiden name in section 1 of the I-9 Form.

A substantive violation would include not reviewing or entering proper List A, B or C identifying documents.

Employers are subject to to fines within the discretion of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Group (ICE).  ICE will determine the amount of the fine and also determine whether to suggest criminal prosecution for knowingly and continually employing unauthorized workers.

N3 Notary for information use only, not to be used as legal advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Disciplinary Guidelines for California Notaries and their employers.

California has made revisions to its disciplinary guidelines for Notary misconduct and employers should take notice.  The new guideline states, “Any person who solicits, coerces, or in any manner influences a notary public to perform an improper notarial act knowing the act is improper, including any act required of a notary public in connection with the notary journal, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (Government Code section 8225(a).)”

Law enforcement are now going after employers who pressure Notary-employees to perform illegal notarial acts.  In a recent case Lorraine Brown the chief executive offices of defunct DocX, LLC please guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in federal court, and agreed the same day to plead guilty to one felony count of forgery, a felony count of perjury and a misdemeanor count of making a false declaration in Missouri.  She faces up to 7 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer said. Lorraine Brown “was responsible for more than a million fraudulent documents entering the system, directing company employees to forge and falsify documents relied on by property recorders, title insurers and others. Appropriately, she now faces the prospect of prison time,”

The New California Notary guidelines cover several areas of Notary misconduct including, offering unauthorized immigration advice and knowingly notarizing fraudulent real estate documents.

The new guidelines are available here for download.

N3 Notary for information use only, not to be used as legal advice.

 

 

 

 

 

What is E-Verify?

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility.

Why E-Verify?

Why do people come to the United States illegally?  They come here to work.  The public can, and should, choose to reward companies that follow the law and employ a legal workforce.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is working to stop unauthorized employment.  By using E-Verify to determine the employment eligibility of their employees, companies become part of the solution in addressing this problem.

Employment eligibility verification is good business and it’s the law.

 

Who Uses E-Verify?

More than 409,000 employers, large and small, across the United States use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of their employees, with about 1,300 new businesses signing up each week.

While participation in E-Verify is voluntary for most businesses, some companies may be required by state law or federal regulation to use E-Verify.  For example, most employers in Arizona and Mississippi are required to use E-Verify. E-Verify is also mandatory for employers with federal contracts or subcontracts that contain the Federal Acquisition Regulation E-Verify clause.

This page provides general information about E-Verify and is meant to provide an overview of the program.  For instructions and policy guidance, visit the For Employers and For Employees sections of the website.

N3 Notary for information use only, not to be used as legal advice.

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Overview of the I-9 Form

It is a requirement of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services that the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I9 is used by an employer to verify an employees identify, and to establish that the employee is legal allowed to work in the United States.

The requirement that all employer verify all newly-hired employees present documentation that verified the employees identify and legal authorization to work in the United states is known as The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 employers

It is required that every employee who was hired after November 6, 1986 complete a I-9 Form.

Employees must complete and sign section 1 while it’s the employers responsibility to complete Section 2.  In cases where the employer can not meet directly with the employee, the employer may use an authorized agent, such as a Notary Public to complete Section to on there behalf.

In the event that an employer fails complete and retain the I-9 Form properly, the company can be fined $110 per missing item and up to $1100 per I-9 Form.  ICE has levied over $80 million in finds since 2009.

N3 Notary for information use only, not to be used as legal advice.

 

 

 

 

 

The Problems with Mobile Notary Signing Services No No Lists

 

People love to share their opinion with others.  Both good and bad.  Some love Coke others love Pepsi.  Talk to enough people, read enough articles or Internet posts and you will find there are different opinions and experience.  From bad to excellent.

So what does this have to do with the No No lists of Mobile Notary Signing Services?  And what is the problem with these lists?

Well lets look at what these lists really are, and how does a signing service end up on these list.

First what is a no no list?

A No No list is a list of Mobile Notary Public Signing services that 1 or more individual has had a bad experience with. A bad experience ranges for fax backs, to slow paying and non-paying companies, to scheduling reps that an individual does not like.  So a signing service ends up on a no no list.

Mobile Notaries that use these lists tend to use them like a credit report of sorts, but is that an effective strategy to build your business around?

Now some mobile notaries will say that “I don’t work for free” or “Notaries need to stick together to put these signing service out of business.”  There are so many negative posts about every signing service that it’s a wonder how some Mobile Notaries manage to stay in business.

Here is a rule of business you must accept.

You will not be paid 100% of the time.

The sooner a Mobile Notary gets out of the emotion of “getting burned” and into the logic of “that just part of the cost of doing business” the more effective they will be.

Lets look at an example of how this works.

At last check there we about 100 companies on these no no list.  If you believe that you should not work with these companies you will loose out on valuable revenue opportunities for your business.

The revenue will go to your completion, who will use it to advertise more then you, use it to become more efficient then you use it to put you out of business.

All because you use the Mobile Notary signing service no no lists as a credit report, while your competition capitalizes on their revenue opportunities.  Because your competition knows what you don’t.  There is more money to be made by working for these companies then there is to loose.

Again some people love Coke, and hate Pepsi.  Will you take the opinion of others on never try Pepsi?  Or will you try for your self and have your own opinion creating your own experiences, risking your own taste buds.

What abut the signing companies that end up on these lists because of fax backs?  Did you know that fax backs are an efficient way for signing service to insure quality and minimize signing errors as well as avoid costly loan funding delays.

Some notaries will say “I don’t make mistakes so I don’t do fax backs”.

Ever hear the saying; to error is human?

So if you don’t make mistakes then you are not human, you must be super human.

And signing companies that require fax backs do not work with super humans only humans.

Again is using these lists a strategic way to build your business?

These lists will tell you to avoid almost every mobile Notary signing service.  Signing services have the bulk of the work out there.

Very few notaries can avoid working with signing services and have their business thrive.

What do you think about mobile notary signing service no no lists?

Career Planning : How to Become a Notary

To become a notary public, an individual must be over 18, fill out a notary commission application, attend classes based on state requirements and pass an exam. Pay for bond through insurance brokers in order to set up a notary business with the help in this free video on job information from a career service specialist. Expert: Stacie Royer Bio: Stacie Royer is an exclusive career services specialist, and she is active in business and career networking throughout the Austin, Texas area. Filmmaker: Todd Green


We’ve Redesigned the N3 Website!

We’re thrilled to unveil the brand new N3 website!

Our new site was designed to improve our support for N3 customers and all of their mobile notary scheduling needs. Learn more about our mobile notaries and customizable solutions for staffing agencies, litigation support or legal and financial services in an easy to use format that offers the information you need to quickly and easily.

 

 

We’re thrilled to unveil the brand new N3 website!

Our new site was designed to improve our support for N3 customers and all of their mobile notary scheduling needs. Learn more about our mobile notaries and customizable solutions for staffing agencies, litigation support or legal and financial services in an easy to use format that offers the information you need to quickly and easily.

The new site was developed using the Drupal CMS platform for easy updating with all the latest news and information N3 customers and other notary professionals will find helpful, including helpful tips and industry updates.

And the new site doesn’t stop delivering there! We have also improved the back end of the site to make the mobile notary process easier, creating an attractive and easy to navigate menu with improved options for users as they complete their transactions.

Don’t just take our word for it! Check out the new site and find more helpful information about I9 certification, mobile notary scheduling services and our customizable management service option designed to support your business at any level you or your business require.