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Friday, Feb. 13, 2026

Can Arizona employers legally ask prospective hires about immigration status?

Mia Osmonbekov, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
no

No. Employers cannot ask about an applicant’s national origin or citizenship status. 

The Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAWA) requires employers to  use of E-Verify system, but only after an employee is hired.  During the hiring process, employers are limited to asking whether a candidate is authorized to work in the U.S. 

They also cannot require new hires to show specific documents, such as a green card or passport, to verify work eligibility. Rather, employees can choose from a federal list of  acceptable documents. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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