The federal government shutdown began at 12:01am on October 1, 2025, and how long the shutdown will last is anyone’s guess. While certain essential government services will remain available, the shutdown will result in a dramatic decrease in the operations of most federal departments and agencies.
The precise impacts the shutdown will have on employers remain to be seen, but past shutdowns and recent agency guidance issued in preparation for the shutdown provide some insight on what we should expect.
While initially still available on the morning of October 1, E-Verify was soon disabled. This was expected, as the E-Verify system was temporarily unavailable during prior shutdowns, as well. When unavailable, employers are prevented from enrolling in E-Verify or verifying authorization for new employees to work in the U.S.
Even if E-Verify is down, employers are still required during the shutdown to follow I-9 compliance procedures when onboarding new employees. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently confirmed that employers are permitted to continue using the remote I-9 document verification under the USCIS-approved alternative review process. USCIS published additional compliance guidance on its website on October 1.
While USCIS operations will continue, field office staffing is likely to be reduced, and many visa and citizenship applicants that require verification through other agencies are likely to see their applications put on hold. In particular,...
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