- within Immigration topic(s)
- in United States
- within Insurance and Transport topic(s)
Attention Employers and HR Professionals:
The E-Verify system is officially back online and will continue to remain online for the duration of the government shutdown; it may be time to catch up on any employment verification cases that were delayed during the outage.
What Is E-Verify?
E-Verify is a free, web-based system operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It allows employers to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires by electronically comparing information from the employee's Form I-9 to records from the Social Security Administration and DHS.
What Is Form I-9?
Form I-9, or the Employment Eligibility Verification form, is required for every employee hired in the United States. Employers must:
- Ensure the employee completes Section 1 on or before their first day of work.
- Complete Section 2 within three business days of the employee's start date.
- Review and retain acceptable documents that verify identity and work authorization.
Important Compliance Reminder
E-Verify is a supplement to—not a replacement for—Form I-9. Even during system outages, employers are still required to complete Form I-9 on time. Now that E-Verify is back online, employers may wish to:
- Submit any backlogged E-Verify cases immediately,
- Follow USCIS guidance on handling delayed cases, and
- Avoid taking adverse action against employees due to verification delays the outage caused.
Timely action may help avoid penalties and ensure organizations' workforces remain properly vetted.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
