E-Verify Operations Extended Through Dec. 22 with (Another) Continuing Resolution

Following the December 11 Continuing Resolution, President Obama has signed another extension which will allow the federal government to continue to operate through December 22. The short-term extension will not impact the E-Verify program. Congress continues negotiations on the fiscal 2016 omnibus spending bill. The hope is that the 2,009 page omnibus bill will have been signed by Dec. 22. Once the omnibus is signed, it includes language to reauthorize the E-Verify program administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services until… drum roll… September 30, 2016.

Below is the language which makes this a reality, found on page 707 of the current omnibus text:

SEC. 572. Section 401(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1324a note) shall be applied by substituting “September 30, 2016” for the date specified in section 106(3) of the Continuing Appropriation Act, 2016 (Public Law 114-53).

As reported in our previous post, E-Verify Reauthorization Deadline Looms (Again…), if the bill is not passed or another extension is not granted the federal government will shut down. During this time, E-Verify will shut down and employers will not be able to create E-Verify cases to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. However, while E-Verify is shut down, Equifax Workforce Solutions I-9 Management solution maintains a record of cases to be submitted to E-Verify. Once E-Verify is reinstated, Equifax I-9 Management will submit applicable E-Verify cases – allowing for E-Verify processing to occur, minimizing the burden on the employer.

Equifax will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as available via the Equifax Insights blog.