By: Patricia Gannon and Marcela Bermudez
Effective July 1, 2023, employers with 25 or more employees are required to use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of new hires, under Florida Senate Bill (SB) 1718, a new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 10.
Currently, Florida has a very narrow E-Verify requirement. SB 1718 creates new state civil and criminal penalties for employing individuals who are not authorized to work in the United States and permits state authorities to audit employers’ compliance with employment eligibility verification requirements. Beginning on July 1, 2023, if the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) determines that an employer failed to use E-Verify in compliance with SB 1718, the department must notify the employer of the determination of noncompliance and provide the employer with 30 days to cure the noncompliance. An employer who fails to use the E-Verify system as required by SB 1718 three times in any 24-month period is subject to a fine of $1,000 per day and suspension of state-issued licenses until the noncompliance is cured. The law also requires hospitals and healthcare systems to collect and report statistics on the immigration status of patients
For those foreign nationals who want to hold land or may already own land, Florida introduced SB 264, which restricts ownership of Florida real property by certain nationals and entities of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela. Affected foreign principals who acquired such land before July 1, 2023, may continue to own or hold it but may not purchase or acquire any additional land or interest in Florida. They are required to register their ownership or holdings with the Florida DEO.
We expect the law will be challenged in the Courts.
Please reach out to your Greenspoon Marder LLP Immigration & Naturalization Practice Group for any further questions or concerns.
Greenspoon Marder LLP’s Immigration and Naturalization Practice Group consists of seasoned immigration attorneys who are focused on providing quality service at cost-effective rates. We have a vast and diverse array of experience in the immigration arena. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies, startups, individual investors, universities, city and state agencies or high-net individuals that operate nationally or globally and are seeking foreign talent. Our clients know that today’s business environment, along with the immigration environment is fluid, and dynamic and can change without much notice.
