Compliance Stuff

An I-9 audit can turn a single paperwork mistake into a $2,861 fine per form, and penalties can add up fast. The good news is that most audits are driven by a handful of predictable red flags . When you know what those signals look like and tighten a few parts of your process, you can reduce the odds of being caught off guard. For HR teams, the pressure is real: hiring is more distributed, verification is harder to standardize, and enforcement expectations have not gotten simpler. Let’s dive into the five most common audit triggers, what happens once ICE initiates an inspection, and the practical process moves that make audits less disruptive. In this post, we'll cover: What is an I-9 Audit? 5 Most Common Triggers for an I-9 Audit What Happens During an I-9 Audit How to Prepare for an I-9 Audit A Quick Self-Assessment for HR Teams How to Build a Stronger Compliance Foundation Frequently Asked Questions What is an I-9 Audit? In November 1986, the Immigration Reform and Control Act ...

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) just finalized a change to the H-1B visa program to officially replace the traditional random lottery with a wage-weighted selection system. The rule, released earlier today and expected to be formally published in the Federal Register on December 29, marks one of the most significant structural shifts to the H-1B cap process in decades and will require you to take a new approach to your annual immigration strategy. You should begin preparing for the 2026 cap season by reading the summary below and reviewing our list of seven suggested action items. What Just Happened The final rule largely mirrors the proposal unveiled in September,  which we previously covered in detail  here . In a nutshell: DHS will replace the random H-1B cap lottery with a weighted selection process that favors higher wage levels assigned to the offered position. The rule applies to all 85,000 annual H-1B cap numbers, including: 65,000 under the regular cap, and...

On April 3, 2025, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released two memoranda, M-25-21 and M-25-22, regarding federal agencies’ use and acquisition, respectively, of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Among other strategies oriented towards the Trump administration’s priorities of driving AI innovation,  M-25-21  and  M-25-22  require “covered agencies”—“any executive department, military department, Government corporation, Government controlled corporation, or other establishment in the executive branch of the Government … or independent regulatory agency,” subject to specific exclusions as set forth in 44 U.S.C. § 3502(1)—to (1) publish, by September 30, 2025, an AI Strategy identifying and removing barriers to responsible AI use, and (2) issue, by December 29, 2025, detailed policies setting the terms for acceptable use and procurement of AI. Several federal agencies—including the  U.S. Department of Homeland Security  (DHS),  U....