Can you ask where a candidate is from or their citizenship?
Asking about birthplace, ancestry or “where are you really from” risks a national-origin claim. You can ask whether someone is legally authorized to work in the country.
National-origin protections cover birthplace, ancestry, native language and accent. Curiosity questions about where someone is “really” from are a common and avoidable trap.
The lawful version is the work-authorization question, which you can ask of every candidate without getting into origin.
Risky phrasing
“Where are you originally from?”
Compliant rewrite
Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
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