The government has agreed to delay temporarily the implementation of the requirement that federal contractors and subcontractors with qualifying federal contracts use the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) E-Verify system to check the immigration status of their employees.
The government has agreed to delay temporarily the implementation of the requirement that federal contractors and subcontractors with qualifying federal contracts use the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) E-Verify system to check the immigration status of their employees. The requirement was scheduled to take effect January 15, but the government has delayed its implementation until February 20, 2009.
The delay is the result of a lawsuit filed against the government by a coalition of business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The parties to the suit agreed to the delay to give them time to make their arguments to the court. It is not known whether the court will rule on the lawsuit before the February 20 implementation date.
Federal contractors should continue to identify any federal contracts that would be impacted by this rule and to consider how they will implement the E-Verify requirement if the rule ultimately takes effect.
We will continue to keep you updated on this issue. If you have any questions regarding the E-Verify requirement and whether your company has qualifying federal contracts or subcontracts or other business immigration issues, please contact Geetha Nadiminti, gnadiminti@fordharrison.com, 404-888-3940 or any member of Ford & Harrison's Business Immigration practice group.