E-Verify Restored Amid Government Shutdown: What Employers Need to Know

Update — October 9, 2025: In a first for employers, E-Verify has been restored while the federal government remains shut down.U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that the system is once again operational for case creation and submission. This unusual development aligns with the administration’s focus on maintaining workforce verification access during federal funding lapses.

Employers can now:

• Resume creating and submitting E-Verify cases
• Resolve pending Tentative Nonconfirmations (TNCs)
• Access support channels and myE-Verify tools

What Employers Should Do Now

With E-Verify restored, employers should:

1. Clear any backlog: Submit cases created during the outage.
2. Resume TNC resolution: Work with employees to address any mismatches.
3. Document all delays: Note that delays were due to the government shutdown for compliance defense.

If you’re an i9 Intelligence customer, queued cases will automatically process now that E-Verify is live again.

Form I-9 Requirements Remain Unchanged

Even while E-Verify was offline, Form I-9 obligations never paused. Employers must continue to:

• Have new hires complete Section 1 by day one
• Complete Section 2 within three business days
• Retain all completed I-9s securely

E-Verify supplements—not replaces—Form I-9 compliance.

What This Means for i9 Intelligence Users

The i9 Intelligence platform has already resumed normal operation:

• Automatic submissions restored for queued E-Verify cases
• Audit-ready documentation tags delayed cases as “Gov’t Shutdown”
• System notifications are being sent to all active users

Our compliance safeguards ensure a seamless transition from downtime to full functionality—without risking your audit record.

Staying Compliant as E-Verify Resumes Operations

E-Verify’s unexpected restoration during an ongoing government shutdown marks a shift in USCIS operational priorities. Employers should act quickly to clear backlogs and ensure compliance records are updated.

At i9 Intelligence, we’ve already automated the recovery process—keeping your organization compliant, efficient, and protected from risk.

Explore our I-9 compliance platform to see how we simplify compliance in any environment.