U.S. Department
of Justice
Filing A Charge
- What is an IER charge and where should you file a charge?
- How to submit a charge to the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER)
- Sending us attachments/supporting files
- Contact us
- Other resources
What is an IER charge and where should you file a charge?
This law may protect you against work-related discrimination based on your citizenship status or national origin in the following situations:
- Hiring practices
- Firing practices
- Recruitment practices
- When proving your permission to work in the United States to an employer.
This law protects people from discrimination who have permission to work in the United States. If you believe you suffered a violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act, you can submit a discrimination complaint to the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER). Charges must be filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination or retaliation.
IER does NOT investigate the following types of workplace violations:
| Type of issue | Where to file |
|---|---|
| Issues related to other types of employment discrimination such as discrimination based on race, sex, religion, disability | File with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEC). Note that generally, the EEOC prohibits national origin discrimination where the employer has 15 or more employees. |
| Issues related to unpaid wages | File with the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division. |
| Issues related to immigration-related fraud | File with the Department of Homeland Security Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS). |
| If you need to find a private attorney or if you need legal advice | Contact the State Bar Association or Legal Aid in your state. |
How to submit a charge to the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER)
If you believe you have suffered discrimination under the Immigration and Nationality Act, you can file a complaint within 180 days of the discrimination with IER by submitting a charge form electronically online.
You can also download and fill out a PDF version of the Charge Form in these languages:
- English (English)
- español (Spanish)
- العربية (Arabic)
- 中文 (Chinese)
- français (French)
- Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- português (Portuguese)
- Pусский (Russian)
- Tagalog (Tagalog)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
If you complete the PDF version of the charge form, send us the completed form using one of these options:
- Email us
- Mail us the form to this address:
Immigrant and Employee Rights Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (4CON)
Washington, DC 20530
- Fax the form to 202-616-5509
Filing supporting documents
If you wish to supplement your charge form with supporting documents or attachments, you may do so by email, mail, or fax, as outlined above. If you have received a reference number from IER, please include that number when sending attachments or documents relating to your form.
IER’s charge form is available in several languages. Charges must be filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination or retaliation.
Have questions?
Call IER at 1-800-255-7688 if you:
- Want to ask for IER’s help with an employment issue now
- Want to know if IER is the right office to file your charge
- Have questions about the charge form
- Want to know what happens after you file
Other resources
IER Frequently Asked Questions
IER Hotline Program – Get Help Now
How Does IER Protect Your Rights Video
The anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is found at 8 U.S.C. § 1324b. Regulations for this law are found at 28 C.F.R. Part 44.