History and Milestones

New Form I-9 and Notice Published Allowing E-Verify Employers to Remotely Examine Form I-9 Documents

Aug. 1, 2023

USCIS announced a new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Employers must use Form I-9 to verify the identity and employment authorization of their employees. Now two pages, the new edition reduces burden for employers and employees.

The new form also incorporates a check box for employers to indicate their participation in Remote Document Examination. Other improvements include more concise instructions and guidance on acceptable receipts and the auto-extension of some documents found on the Lists of Acceptable Documents.

DHS Ends Form I-9 Requirement Flexibility

July 31, 2023

COVID-19 temporary flexibilities for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, ended on July 31, 2023.

DHS Announces Optional Alternatives to the Physical Documentation Associated with Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification

July 25, 2023

DHS announced an alternative procedure for Form I-9 in a Federal Register Notice. Based on the notice, employers who meet four requirements may choose an alternative procedure in lieu of physically examining Form I-9 documentation that had been examined remotely under the COVID-19 flexibilities.

E-Verify Resumes Employee E-mail Notifications

Aug. 9, 2022

Starting August 9, E-Verify resumed automatically sending an email notification to an employee if their case receives a Tentative Nonconfirmation (mismatch). This email notification is sent if an employee provides an email address on the Form I-9 employer enters the employee’s email address from the Form I-9 into the E-Verify case at the time of case creation. The mismatch email notification does not replace the employer’s requirement to notify an employee of a mismatch. The mismatch email notification also includes a new employee rights section, “Your Rights in this Process,” containing U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) contact information.

Social Security Administration Resumes E-Verify Operations Following Closures due to COVID-19

Jul. 15, 2022

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, E-Verify extended the timeframe for an employee to take action to resolve a Social Security (SSA) Tentative Nonconfirmation (mismatch). As of July 15, 2022, SSA resumed operations to process SSA mismatches. E-Verify cases referred on or after July 15, 2022, no longer have extended timeframes for employees to visit SSA to resolve these mismatches and those referred between March 2, 2020, to July 14, 2022, will have an extended timeframe to be resolved. Learn more at the SSA Resumes E-Verify Operations page or E-Verify User Manual for more information.

E-Verify Releases New Case Processing Enhancements

Jun. 21, 2022

On June 21, E-Verify released several new features designed to increase awareness of existing duplicate cases and reduce overall case processing time. Additionally, E-Verify redesigned the “Search Cases” page to provide a more robust case query function. Visit the E-Verify Enhancements page for more details about these improvements.

E-Verify Revises Further Action Notices and Referral Date Confirmation Letters

May 26, 2022

In May 2022, E-Verify released revised Further Action Notices and Referral Date Confirmation Letters with improved formatting, clearer instructions, and additional information about employee rights. These system-generated documents instruct employers and employees on the next steps when an E-Verify Tentative Nonconfirmation (mismatch) case result is issued. View samples of the notices and letters on the Employer Resources or Employee Resources page at E-Verify.gov.

DHS Ends COVID-19 Temporary Policy for Expired List B Identity Documents

May 1, 2022

DHS ends the COVID-19 Temporary Policy for List B Identity Documents.  Beginning May 1, Employers could no longer accept expired List B documents. DHS adopted the temporary policy in response to the difficulties many individuals experienced with renewing documents during the COVID-19 pandemic. With document-issuing authorities reopened and/or provided alternatives to in-person renewals, DHS ended this flexibility. Starting May 1, 2022, employers could only accept unexpired List B documents.

Request for Public Input on Remote Document Examination for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification

Oct. 25, 2021

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sought to explore alternative options to physical document examination that offer an equivalent or higher level of security for identity and employment eligibility verification purposes. To gather public input, DHS published a 60-day Request for Public Input in the Federal Register regarding document.

myE-Verify Has a New Feature Called myUploads

Mar. 12, 2021 

myUploads is a new feature from myE-Verify that helps employees and individuals electronically resolve their E-Verify DHS Tentative Nonconfirmations (mismatches) by uploading images of their documentation as a JPEG, PNG, or PDF through a computer or smart device. This new free feature may help expedite employment eligibility confirmation and resolve mismatches. 

E-Verify 25th Anniversary

Jan. 1, 2021

September 2021 marked E-Verify’s 25th anniversary! On Sept. 30, 1996, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) was signed into law, creating three employment eligibility verification pilot programs, including the “Basic Pilot.” A year later, the Basic Pilot was rolled out in six states, and in 2007, the Basic Pilot was renamed “E-Verify”.

25 years and over one million enrolled employers later, E-Verify is the best way for employers to electronically confirm their new employees are eligible to work in the United States.

E-Verify State Laws

Jan. 1, 2021

As of Jan. 1, 2021, E-Verify enrollment became a condition of business licensing in Florida. To date the following states have contracting or business licensing laws with E-Verify enrollment as a condition for some or all employers: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Check with your state and local legal resources for up-to-date information.

E-Verify and Form I-9 Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jun. 26, 2020

Employers and workplaces that are operating remotely may follow the DHS news release that announced flexibility in requirements related to Form I-9.

New Form I-9 Released

Jan. 31, 2020

On Jan. 31, 2020, USCIS published the Form I-9 Federal Register notice announcing a new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, that the Office of Management and Budget approved on Oct. 21, 2019. As of May 1, 2020, only the 10/21/2019 edition can be used. A revised Spanish edition of Form I-9 with an edition date of 10/21/2019 is available for use in Puerto Rico only.

E-Verify joined LinkedIn

Jul. 16, 2019

E-Verify joined LinkedIn! Follow us at E-Verify Program for the latest information, resources, and updates E-Verify Listens was discontinued on July 17, 2019.

myE-Verify Available Nationwide

Jan. 29, 2019

myE-Verify accounts and Self Lock are now available nationwide. myE-Verify is the website that gives U.S. workers and job-seekers resources and tools to learn about and participate in the E-Verify process.

E-Verify Expands Access to Driver’s License Data

Oct. 1, 2018

In October 2018, E-Verify connected to a new data source to begin validating employee’s driver’s license data for 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for users accessing E-Verify.

E-Verify Modernization

Apr. 18, 2018

On April 23, USCIS announced the E-Verify program modernized its system to improve users’ experience, reduce errors, and increase the speed and accuracy of the employment eligibility verification process. Improvements include:

• Enhanced usability features to help users enter correct information and make E-Verify more user friendly;
• Streamlined case creation and management to increase results speed and accuracy;
• Improved overall data integrity and system compliance; and
• Transferred case data to a new modernized database.

New E-Verify.gov Website

Apr. 10, 2018

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the launch of our new website, E-Verify.gov. This is the authoritative source for information on electronic employment eligibility verification. E-Verify.gov is for employers, employees and the general public and is available in English and Spanish.

New Automated Client Enrollment Feature for E-Verify Employer Agents Launched

Dec. 22, 2017

E-Verify added the ability for clients of E-Verify employer agents to sign their memorandum of understanding (MOU) electronically. This new feature eliminates the need to sign MOUs by hand, which reduces the:

• Time it takes for clients to become “active” in E-Verify; and
• Number of enrollments the E-Verify system rejects.

E-Verify Participation Poster Redesigned

Aug. 28, 2017

E-Verify released a redesigned participation poster. The new poster informs current and prospective employees of their legal rights, responsibilities, and protections in the employment eligibility verification process.

The poster is now available in English and Spanish as one poster. As stated in the E-Verify User Manual, employers must replace their participation posters when updates are provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Employers are still required to display the Immigrant and Employee Rights (IER) Right to Work posters in English and Spanish. To learn more, see the E-Verify Participation Posters webpage.

Form I-9 Revised

Nov. 14, 2016

E-Verify published a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Among the changes in the revised version, Section 1 asks for “other last names used” rather than “other names used,” and the form is simpler for certain foreign nationals to complete.

Other changes include:

• The addition of prompts to ensure information is entered correctly;
• The ability to enter multiple preparers and translators on a supplemental page; and
• A dedicated area for including additional information rather than having to add it in the margins.

For more information, visit I-9 Central.

New E-Verify Self-Service Feature Launched

Aug. 21, 2016

E-Verify launched a new self-service feature that allows users to unlock their own user ID by answering the same security questions used to create their account. Users were encouraged to contact their program or corporate administrator, or 800-741-5023, for assistance.

Responsive Web Design Launched

Feb. 29, 2016

We redesigned the look and feel of E-Verify so that the website functioned better on mobile devices and automatically adjusted to any screen size. The case creation screens in the new E-Verify design matched the order of fields on Form I-9, which made for a consistent experience. Also, users could access the full E-Verify website at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of each page.

myE-Verify

October 6, 2014

USCIS launched myE-Verify, a suite of online services for employees who want to check their own work authorization through Self Check. This new feature manages other tasks related to E-Verify in five states: Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Mississippi, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

E-Verify’s 500,000th Employer

Jan. 3, 2014

More than 500,000 employers were enrolled in E-Verify. FRONTLINE Selling, LLC, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was the 500,000th employer to enroll in E-Verify. Frontline helps clients in the sales industry gain appointments with business prospects.

Fraud Alert

November 18, 2013

Verification deployed a process to lock Social Security numbers (SSNs) suspected of fraudulent use in E-Verify. This enhancement helps combat identity fraud by identifying and deterring fraudulent use of SSNs for employment eligibility verification. There is no change to the E-Verify process for employers as a result of this enhancement.

E-Verify Listens

July, 2012

E-Verify Listens, launched, in July 2012, is an online community where stakeholders can share, vote for and comment on ideas related to improving the employment eligibility verification process.

E-Verify Self Check

2011

E-Verify Self Check (“Self Check”), a voluntary, fast, free and simple service that allows individuals to check their employment eligibility in the United States, launched and expanded to residents of 21 states. Self Check is now available in all states and the District of Columbia through myE-Verify.

Self Check in Spanish

2011

E-Verify Self-Check (“Self Check”), a voluntary, fast, free and simple service that allows individuals to check their employment eligibility in the United States, launched and expanded to residents of 21 states.

USCIS Launches I-9 Central

May, 2011

USCIS launched I-9 Central, a site dedicated to making guidance for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, more accessible and user-friendly. I-9 Central provides one online location to keep employers and workers up to date with the information needed to properly complete Form I-9.

RIDE Program Launched

2011

E-Verify launched the Records and Information from DMVs for E-Verify (RIDE) program. Developed in conjunction with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, RIDE enabled states to validate the authenticity of driver’s licenses presented as Form I-9 (PDF, 535 KB) identity documents. Mississippi was the first state to make its driver’s license data available to E-Verify. The first states to sign up are as follows:

• Mississippi, 2011
• Florida joins RIDE, 2012
• Idaho and Iowa join RIDE, 2013
• Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin join RIDE, 2015

Basic Pilot Program Renamed E-Verify

2007

The Basic Pilot Program was renamed E-Verify. Along with the new name, the program added more features including an automatic flagging system that prompts employers to double-check the data entered into the web interface for those cases that are about to result in a mismatch. This change reduced data entry errors and initial mismatches by approximately 30 percent.

The launch of E-Verify also marked the addition of photo matching. Photo matching is the first step in incorporating biometric data into the web interface. Photo matching was developed for employees presenting a Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Document, and allows the employer to match the photo on an employee's document with the photo in USCIS records.

State workforce agencies were encouraged to use E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of any worker referred to an employer in response to an H-2A job order.

Basic Pilot Program Access Expands to the Internet

2004

The Basic Pilot Program implemented a new web-based access method to confirm employment eligibility. The new web-based access method allowed users to access Basic Pilot through any internet-capable computer. Other features of the Internet version include online enrollment, reporting capability for users, and availability of the web interface 23 hours a day.

Basic Pilot Program Integrates SSA Verification

1998

Employers were able to complete both the SSA and INS portion of the verification case by entering I-9 data into a computer program which transmitted the data to INS and SSA via modem.

Basic Pilot Program Launched

1997

The INS, in conjunction with the Social Security Administration (SSA), implemented the Basic Pilot Program in California, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, New York and Texas. The Basic Pilot Program was voluntary and allowed employers to confirm the work eligibility of their newly hired employees. The Basic Pilot Program used information from the employee's Form I-9 and compared it to the information in INS and SSA records. To verify information with SSA, employers were required to call SSA. Once the SSA information was confirmed by phone, the employer entered I-9 data into a computer program which transmitted the data to INS via a modem connection.

Congress passes IIRIRA

September, 1996

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 required the then Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)--which became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2003--to conduct three distinct pilot programs: Basic Pilot, the Citizen Attestation Pilot, and the Machine-Readable Document Pilot. These pilots were used to determine the best method of verifying an employee's employment verification.

Reagan signs Immigration Act

November, 1986

President Ronald Reagan signs the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). IRCA of 1986 required employers to examine documentation from each newly hired employee to prove his or her identity and eligibility to work in the United States. This act led to the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, requiring employees to attest to their work eligibility, and employers to certify that the documents presented reasonably appear (on their face) to be genuine and to relate to the individual. 123475!!!!