News

Final Rule Issued Mandating Federal Contractor Use of "E-Verify"

The final rule requiring Federal contractors and subcontractors to use the E-Verify system administered by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, as the means of verifying that certain of their employees are eligible to work in the United States was published November 14, 2008. The rulemaking will take effect January 15, 2009. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council included several AGC-suggested provisions in the final rule, including: extending the time to permit Federal contractors to participate in the E-Verify program from 30 to 90 days; providIng a longer period after this initial enrollment period – 30 calendar days instead of 3 business days – for contractors to initiate verification of existing employees who have not previously gone through the E-Verify system when they are newly assigned to a covered Federal contract; increases the threshold for prime contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold ($100,000) instead of the micro-purchase threshold ($3,000); and, provides contractors the option of verifying all employees of the contractor, including any existing employees not currently assigned to a Government contract. To view a copy of the final rule click here. Further information on registration for and use of E-Verify can be obtained here.