Federal Contractors Required to Use E-Verify Effective September 9th-FAR

On 9/1/09 DHS/USCIS issued an update reminding federal contractors and subcontractors that effective Sept. 8, 2009, they will be required to use the E-Verify system to verify their employees’ eligibility to work in the United States beginning with contracts entered after September 8th and if their contract includes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify Clause.

E-Verify, which compares information from the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 against federal government databases to verify workers’ employment eligibility. E-Verify is a free web-based system operated by DHS in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA). The system facilitates compliance with federal immigration laws and helps to deter unauthorized individuals from attempting to work and also helps employers avoid employing unauthorized aliens.

Companies awarded a contract with the E-Verify clause on or after Sept. 8 will be required to enroll in E-Verify within 30 days of the contract award date. E-Verify must be used to confirm that all new hires, whether employed on a federal contract or not, and existing employees directly working on these contracts are legally authorized to work in the United States.