E-Verify Resumes Operations: What Employers Need to Know

E-Verify has resumed full operations following the temporary service outage caused by the federal government shutdown.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that all E-Verify functions are now available again, including:

What Employers Should Do Now

1. Submit backlogged cases by Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

Employers who hired workers while E-Verify was unavailable must now create cases for those employees.
Use the hire date from each employee’s Form I-9.

2. Document the reason for delay.

When prompted, select “Other” and type “E-Verify not Available” in the Reason for Delay field.
This is the DHS-recommended explanation.

3. Adjust TNC deadlines.

If an employee received a Tentative Nonconfirmation (TNC), extend their referral deadline by six federal business days or reissue an updated Referral Date Confirmation notice.

4. Federal contractor compliance.

Calendar days when E-Verify was unavailable do not count toward federal contractor compliance deadlines.

5. Expect some processing delays.

DHS noted that case volume may be higher than usual as employers catch up on submissions.

Fountain customers using the I-9 product or I-9 workflows in Hire can now submit cases normally.