Written By ESR News Blog Editor Thomas Ahearn
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – the government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States – has announced that the E-Verify electronic employment eligibility verification system and myE-Verify will be temporarily unavailable from April 20, 2018, at 9:00 p.m. to April 22, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time due to the implementation of system enhancements.
While E-Verify is unavailable, employers will not be able to access their accounts to: Enroll in E-Verify; Create an E-Verify case; View or take action on any case; Add, delete, or edit any user account; Reset passwords; Edit company information; Request to terminate an account; and Run reports. To minimize the burden on employers and employees, the USCIS has implemented the following policies:
- Employers may not take adverse action against an employee because the E-Verify case is in an interim case status (such as a Tentative Nonconfirmation, DHS Verification in Process, or a Case in Continuance), including while the employee’s case is in an extended interim case status due to E-Verify’s unavailability.
- Federal contractors with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify clause should contact their contracting officer to inquire about extending federal contractor deadlines.
For the convenience of employers and employees, several free E-Verify resources are still available. The USCIS recommends all employers and employees refer to the E-Verify User Manuals, or E-Verify Guides, and the E-Verify website for additional questions and answers. The USCIS also encourages designated E-Verify employer agents to view the Supplemental Guide for E-Verify Employer Agents.
The USCIS is also reminding employers that the E-Verify outage from April 20 to April 22 does not affect the requirements for the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Employers must still complete Form I-9 no later than the third business day after employment and comply with all other Form I-9 requirements outlined in the Handbook for Employers (M-274) and on I-9 Central.
As for myE-Verify accounts, the USCIS has announced that myE-Verify will be unavailable and employees will not be able to access their myE-Verify accounts to use: Self Check; Self Lock; Case History; or Case Tracker. However, employees may visit the Resource Center and Employee Rights Toolkit for information on their rights and roles in the Form I-9 and E-Verify processes.
E-Verify is a web-based system that allows enrolled employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States by electronically matching information provided by employees on the Form I-9 against records available to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA). For more information about E-Verify, please visit www.e-verify.gov.
Earlier in April 2018, ESR News reported the USCIS launched the new E-Verify.gov website to be an authoritative source for information on the E-Verify system for employers, employees, and the general public. The user-friendly website provides information about E-Verify and Form I-9, including employee rights and employer responsibilities in the employment eligibility verification process.
ESR is a Designated E-Verify Employer Agent
Employment Screening Resources (ESR) is a leading global background check firm that is also a designated E-Verify employer agent that provides a robust E-Verify and Form I-9 solution to help employers verify work status and electronically capture and retain required information. To learn more about E-Verify and Form I-9 services from ESR, please visit www.esrcheck.com/Background-Checks/Form-I-9-E-Verify/.
NOTE: Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) does not provide or offer legal services or legal advice of any kind or nature. Any information on this website is for educational purposes only.
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