ROBERTSDALE, Alabama --- If you do business with the City of Robertsdale, or any other government agency in the state of Alabama for that matter, you have most likely already received a letter in the mail.

As of April 1, as part of the state’s new immigration law (Act No. 2011-535), all businesses in the state of Alabama must file with the E-Verify program to ensure that the business is not knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

Also required by the new law, businesses hired by state or local governments must submit a sworn affidavit signed before a notary, said Ann Simpson, Robertsdale’s chief financial officer.

“This is something we’ve known about for a few months, but were hoping it would be part of the law to be overturned,” Simpson said. But it wasn’t, so after the law went into effect April 1, letters were put in the mail early the following week informing businesses of the change.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, Federal law requires companies to “employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States – either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization.”

The Beason-Hammon Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act was passed by the Alabama State Legislature in 2011 with parts of the act going into effect in January and others, such as the E-Verify requirement, going into effect in April.

The E-Verify system must be used by all employees hired on or after April 1 and, for municipalities and other state and local government entities, an affidavit must include the company’s Employment Eligibility Verification User Identification Number as evidence of enrolment.

According to the letter sent out by the city of Robertsdale, all businesses must complete an updated W-9 form.

Businesses that do not employ one or more employees must submit Part I of the affidavit of Alabama Immigration Compliance.

Businesses that do employ one or more employees must submit Part II of the compliance form. Forms are attached to all letters.

But time is running out. Forms must be filled out and completed within 10 businesses days, according to the letter.

While Simpson says the forms are not complicated to complete, she has heard that some local CPA firms have offered assistance in filling out the forms, for a fee. E-Verify also offers assistance for businesses with less than 25 employees.

“It’s really not that complicated,” she said, “it’s more of a tedious repetition, but it is something that is required by law and we have to comply with state law.”

Anyone needing assistance from the city of Robertsdale can contact Simpson at 251-947-8925.