E-Verify Rule Governing Contractor Employees Postponed

The government has agreed to postpone implementing the E-Verify regulation for federal contractors until May 21 at the earliest, a business group announced today. The regulation would require contractors to check the E-Verify system to determine if workers are legally eligible to work in the United States.

Federal officials agreed to a request by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to postpone enforcement of the regulation so the rule can be reviewed by the Obama administration, the chamber said in a news release today.

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Under the new agreement, federal contractors don’t need to comply with E-Verify until May 21.

“The federal government agreed that the new administration needs time to re-think mandatory E-Verify use, particularly in light of the stressed economy,” Robin Conrad, executive vice president of the chamber’s public-policy law firm, said. “We are hopeful that the incoming administration will agree that E-Verify is the wrong solution at the wrong time.”

The program allows employers to electronically submit Social Security numbers for their new hires and existing employees. If there is a match, the employee is deemed eligible to work. If not, there are procedures for further assessments.

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