E-Verify Resumes Operations: What Employers Must Do by October 14, 2025

E-Verify has officially resumed services after a temporary system outage that affected employers and federal contractors across the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that all participating employers must take specific actions to stay compliant, especially when creating cases and managing Tentative Nonconfirmations (mismatches).

Here is a complete summary of what this means for HR teams and how to bring your records back up to date.
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Creating Cases for Employees Hired During the Outage

Employers who hired new employees while E-Verify was unavailable must now create their cases no later than Tuesday, October 14, 2025. When creating these cases:

• Use the hire date listed on Form I-9.

• If the case creation was delayed because E-Verify was down, the system will ask for a reason.

• Choose “Other.”

• Enter “E-Verify not available.”

The period during which E-Verify was unavailable will not count toward the usual three-business-day rule for case creation. This means employers will not be penalized for the delay, provided the reason is properly recorded.

Updating Tentative Nonconfirmations (Mismatches)

If an employee received a mismatch result before the outage and had informed you of their intent to contest it, the next step is to revise the Referral Date Confirmation notice. The deadline by which the employee must contact the Social Security Administration (SSA) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has changed.

Employers can update this date in three ways:

1. Preferred method: Log in to E-Verify, open the employee’s case, and print a new Referral Date Confirmation notice.

2. Alternate method: Write the new referral date on the previously issued notice after checking it inside E-Verify.

3. Fallback method: Add six federal business days to the original referral date printed on the notice.

Federal business days are Monday through Friday and exclude federal holidays.

For mismatch cases that were referred on or after October 8, 2025, do not add extra days. Follow the standard mismatch process as usual.

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Guidance for Employees with Mismatch Cases

Employees who planned to contest a mismatch but could not act because of the outage now have additional time to contact SSA or DHS.

They can either:

• Ask their employer to print a new notice with the updated referral date,

• Request the employer to write the new date on the original notice, or

• Simply add six federal business days to the original referral date themselves.

It is important that employees contact SSA or DHS by this revised date to begin the resolution process.

Federal Contractors and Enrollment Deadlines

Federal contractors who were unable to enroll or use E-Verify during the outage are also covered by the DHS adjustment. Any calendar day when E-Verify was unavailable will not count toward federal contractor compliance deadlines.

Contractors should reach out to their contracting officer for guidance on new reporting or enrollment timelines.

Employees Using E-Verify+

For those using E-Verify+, the enhanced version of the system, new action dates will appear automatically once you log back in. Employees should review the “What’s Next” section in their accounts to confirm their new deadline for contacting SSA or DHS.

Support and Response Delays

E-Verify expects a higher number of support requests during this period. Users may experience longer wait times for email or phone assistance.

Support contacts:

• Email: e-verify@dhs.gov ‍
• Phone: 888-464-4218 (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET)  

For official details, visit the E-Verify What’s New page ‍

‍What Employers Should Do Now

1. Create all pending cases by October 14, 2025.

2. Document the delay reason as “E-Verify not available.”

3. Update or reprint mismatch notices with new referral dates.

4. Communicate deadlines to employees who are resolving mismatches.

5. Inform federal contracting teams about revised schedules.

Timely action this week will keep your organization compliant and prevent unnecessary mismatch closures or late-submission flags inside E-Verify.

How OnBlick Can Help

OnBlick’s compliance tools simplify these updates for HR and compliance teams. Our I-9 Assist and E-Verify monitoring dashboard help you track case creation, automate reminders, and document reasons for delays, ensuring full adherence to DHS guidelines.

If your organization needs help reconciling cases affected by the outage, our team can guide you through each step and ensure records are corrected quickly. You can book a free personalized demo today.

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