Carnegie Mellon University

Dear Colleagues,

Following the email sent by the Vice Provost for Research on (1/4/19), we are writing with some additional information and guidance on E-Verify requirements during the current partial government shutdown.

As many of you know, the E-verify system IS shut down at this time and will not come back online until sometime after the shutdown ends.  Please see additional details here:

https://www.e-verify.gov/e-verify-and-e-verify-services-are-unavailable

Some specific guidance for CMU units and administrators:

  • I-9 Requirements do not change:  Any new employees assigned to work on E-Verify contracts must still complete their I-9 form within three days of starting work. 
  • Employees who are not able to complete their E-verify requirement will be expected to go to the Service Center to complete their E-Verify requirement after the system comes back online.  This will apply to:
  1. New hires to the university working on and/or charging to existing E-Verify awards
  2. Current employees who begin to work and/or charge on an existing E-verify award
  3. Any new hire or current employee, who has not previously completed E-Verify during their employment with CMU, who are assigned to work on and/or charge to a new E-Verify award received during the shutdown
  • Department/unit research administrators are advised to send the names of the employees who fall into any of the three categories above to the HR Service Center at cmu-works@andrew.cmu.edu. The HR Service Center will assist in ensuring that E-Verify requirements are met after the system becomes available.

Based on previous shutdowns, we anticipate that after this shutdown has ended, DHS and USCIS will specify a window of time to complete E-Verify requirements that could not be completed during the shutdown.  However, we will not know the details of how much time will be available until after the shutdown ends.  (For reference: In 2013, after a 16 day shutdown that ended on Oct. 16, employees were given until Nov. 5 to complete the E-verify requirement.) 

HR and/or other relevant offices (OSP, SPA etc.) will issue additional guidance in the event that the length of the current shutdown creates difficulties in processing the number of E-verify clearances required in the window of time given after the shutdown ends.

In the meantime, please continue to email ovpr@andrew.cmu.edu with any follow up questions or concerns.


Regards,

David J. Quinn, Ph.D.
Carnegie Mellon University
Director, Office of the Vice Provost for Research
Special Faculty, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Phone: 412.268.2227
Fax: 412.268.2330