As part of E-Verify’s annual record disposal process of records that are 10 years or older, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will permanently delete E-Verify employer records that are more than ten years old on January 5, 2026.
This is a reminder to help HR professionals ensure that all verification documents are stored securely before the 2026 record deletion deadline. Below are the dates and details for this upcoming year’s record disposal.
Why are records disposed of annually?
This annual process, conducted under the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records retention and disposal schedule (N 1-566-08-7), helps ensure responsible data management and minimize the risks associated with retaining outdated employee verification information.
Since 2008, USCIS has adhered to the NARA-approved record retention schedule for E-Verify data. Starting in 2013, USCIS implemented a 10-year data retention policy to manage the increasing volume of cases.
Since January 2014, it has deleted E-Verify records that are more than 10 years old annually. The primary reason for establishing these additional guidelines is to mitigate security and privacy risks associated with the U.S. government’s storage of personally identifiable information (PII).
Key dates and details employers need to know
Your company’s program administrator or corporate administrator can download and save your company’s E-Verify Historical Records Report for cases last updated on or before December 31, 2015. According to the E-Verify retention and disposal fact sheet, this report includes:
- Company name and location
- Initiated date and verification case number
- Employee name and date of initial resolution
- Date of additional resolution and final status
- Case closure date and case closure description
Key dates for retention and deletion
December 31, 2015: Records updated on or before this date will be deleted.
January 4, 2026: Final deadline for employers to download and save historical records.
January 5, 2026: USCIS will permanently delete records from the E-Verify system. After this date, these case records will no longer be accessible to employers.
Employer action item checklist
For your convenience, the action item checklist below outlines tasks to be implemented by or before January 4, 2026.
- Download Historical Records Report: Program administrators or corporate administrators can download and save the Historical Records Report by January 4, 2026, for all cases last updated on or before December 31, 2015.
- Record and file with corresponding Form I-9: Employers must record or print each E-Verify case verification number and file it with its corresponding Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.
- Retain securely: The Historical Records Report and associated Forms I-9 should be retained together in a secure and organized location in accordance with record retention and privacy guideline requirements.
Once records are deleted on January 5, 2026, they cannot be recovered. Employers will lose access to all case data prior to this date. Although employers have until January 4th to complete these actions, it is worth noting that January 2, 2026, is the last business day of the week before the January 5th records disposal date.
For detailed step-by-step instructions with visual examples on downloading and retaining Historical Record Reports, please see the official E-Verify Records Retention Download Instructions here. Employers should consult their legal counsel to ensure all actions comply with applicable laws and regulations.
This content is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute legal opinion or advice. Consult your legal counsel to ensure compliance.
