New state registry to check legal status of workers goes online

No employers had registered by early Monday afternoon, but a new state registry for checking the working status of new employees for businesses with 15 or more workers is officially online.

Although registration is voluntary, companies may not hire any new employees unless they have signed up with and use the status verification system (verify.utah.gov) under a new law passed this year by the state Legislature that takes effect July 1.

The registration, which is valid for two years, is part of an effort to crack down on undocumented workers by forcing employers to verify the federal legal working status of any new employee (www.uscis.org/portal/site/uscis).