New regulations have come into effect from August 1, 2016 that
have increased civil monetary fines for certain immigration
violations. These violations include unlawful employment of
foreign nationals, employee documentation (Form I-9) violations and
certain employment-related discrimination. The regulations
have stemmed from the final rule published by the US Department of
Justice in wake of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, and are
applicable to immigration violations that occurred after November
2, 2015.
For the unlawful employment of foreign nationals, i.e., hiring
foreign workers who are not authorized to work in the US, the
minimum penalty has increased from $375 to $539 per violation,
while the maximum has risen from $3,200 to $4,313 per violation.
Employers with multiple violations now face a new maximum penalty
of $21,563 for this violation.
