Gryphon HR

New Form I-9 inspection requirements are officially in effect for Washington employers.

As of October 1, 2026, Washington’s Immigrant Worker Protection Act requires employers to notify workers within five business days of receiving notice of a federal Form I-9 inspection.

The law also includes requirements for:
1.Posting notice of the inspection in the workplace
2. Providing notice directly to workers
3. Maintaining proof that required notices were delivered
4. Notifying affected workers of inspection results and potential I-9 deficiencies
5. Posting the Washington Attorney General’s workplace rights notice

For employers with workers in Washington, now is the time to make sure your I-9 inspection response procedures reflect these requirements.

Read more:

Washington Employers Must Notify Workers About Federal Immigration Inspections Starting October 1: Your 8-Step Guide | JD Supra Starting October 1, Washington employers must notify their workers when a federal agency announces plans to inspect employment eligibility paperwork....

Big news here at GryphonHR!

We are excited to partner with MeridianLink® to bring GryphonHR’s flexible, compliance-focused I-9 and E-Verify solutions to consumer reporting agencies using the TazWorks platform.

Through this partnership, TazWorks CRAs can give their clients access to configurable technology, dedicated compliance expertise, and the support they need to navigate the complexities of employment eligibility verification.

We’re proud to work alongside MeridianLink to make I-9 and E-Verify compliance simpler and more accessible for CRAs and the employers they serve.

Read the full announcement:

MeridianLink® Partners with GryphonHR to Bring CRAs a More Flexible and Configurable I-9 & E-Verify Solution - PR.com MeridianLink® is partnering with GryphonHR to bring I-9 and E-Verify capabilities to consumer reporting agencies on its TazWorks platform. The integration...

The Department of Justice’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) recently resolved an investigation involving a U.S. subsidiary of a foreign company and allegations of citizenship-status discrimination.

According to DOJ, an employee who had transferred to the United States alleged that the company did not hire her after she became a lawful permanent resident. She also alleged that the foreign parent company generally did not allow expatriate employees to obtain their own employment authorization while working in another country and that the U.S. subsidiary had adopted that policy.

During the investigation, the U.S. company:
-Changed its policy to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on citizenship status
-Offered the employee $485,000 in full back pay and benefits

The September 4th resolution is an important reminder for U.S. employers: immigration and work authorization policies should be reviewed not only for compliance with employment eligibility requirements, but also for potential discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status.

For multinational employers in particular, policies established by a foreign parent company may need to be evaluated carefully before being applied to employees in the United States.

Read the DOJ’s FY2026 Letters of Resolution:

IER Letters of Resolutions FY 2026 Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

A federal court has temporarily blocked a DHS rule that would have replaced the longstanding “duration of status” (D/S) framework for F, J, and I nonimmigrants with fixed periods of admission.

The rule was scheduled to take effect September 15, 2026. However, a preliminary injunction issued on September 14 prevents DHS from implementing or enforcing the rule while litigation continues.
What this means for employers:

For now, F-1 students, J-1 exchange visitors, I media representatives, and their dependents can continue operating under the existing duration-of-status framework. For employers, this also means avoiding the new tracking and extension requirements the rule would have created — particularly for employees working under CPT, OPT, and STEM OPT.

The rule has not been permanently struck down. Litigation is ongoing, and employers with affected workers should continue monitoring developments and preparing for potential changes.

Read more:

Federal Court Temporarily Blocks DHS “Duration of Status” Rule A federal district court in Massachusetts has temporarily postponed the effective date of a DHS rule that would have replaced the longstanding “duration of status” (D/S) admission framework for F, J, and I nonimmigrants with fixed periods of admission. The rule was scheduled to take effect on Se...

The White House has extended its restrictions on the entry of certain H-1B workers for another 12 months, continuing a major change employers should keep on their immigration compliance radar.

Under the September 18 proclamation, certain H-1B petitions involving workers outside the United States must continue to be accompanied by a $100,000 payment, subject to limited national-interest exceptions. The extension took effect September 21, 2026, and is set to remain in place through September 21, 2027, absent another extension.

The proclamation also requires employers to obtain and retain documentation showing the required payment was made before filing an affected H-1B petition.

Read the full proclamation from the White House:

Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION On September 19, 2025, Proclamation 10973 (Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Every child deserves a safe and nurturing home where they can learn, grow, and reach their full potential. Adoption makes that possible by opening t...

Earlier this month, Massachusetts officials released additional guidance to help employers understand what to do when they receive a Notice of Inspection (NOI) from ICE.

The guidance clarifies that employers should:
• Provide written notice to each employee within 48 hours of receiving an ICE Notice of Inspection
• Notify employees individually — simply posting a workplace notice is not sufficient
• Provide the notice in each employee’s primary language
• Use or modify the state’s newly released sample notice to help meet the requirement

The guidance also encourages employers to provide written notice when they receive an NOI from another federal agency, even though the PROTECT Act specifically requires it for ICE notices.

Read more:

What Massachusetts’s PROTECT Act’s I-9 Notice Rule Could Mean for Employers Nationwide | JD Supra On September 8, 2026, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey released guidance implementing the PROTECT Act. The law took effect on August 5, 2026, and...

Immigration compliance update: New USCIS public charge guidance is now in effect.

As of September 18, 2026, USCIS is applying updated guidance when evaluating the public charge ground of inadmissibility for certain Form I-485 adjustment of status applications filed on or after that date.

Under the updated guidance, USCIS officers will consider the totality of an applicant’s circumstances, including factors such as age, health, family status, financial resources, education and skills. The guidance also expands the types of means-tested public benefits that may be considered for benefits received on or after September 18.

For employers supporting foreign national employees through the permanent residence process, this is another immigration policy change worth keeping on your radar.

Read more:

USCIS Updates Public Charge Guidance for Adjustment Applications Filed on or After Sept. 18 Takeaways USCIS’s updated public charge guidance applies to Form I-485 applications postmarked or electronically submitted on or after Sept. 18, 2026.

A recent federal case is putting Form I-9 and employment verification practices in the spotlight.

Federal authorities arrested a Mexican national accused of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on Form I-9 and using another person’s certificate of naturalization number to obtain and maintain employment with an aerospace manufacturer and U.S. military contractor. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she initially secured employment in 1996 and allegedly submitted another Form I-9 with a false citizenship attestation in January 2026.

For federal contractors, the stakes can be even higher, with additional E-Verify requirements potentially applying under the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Read more:

Authorities Arrest Mexican National Who Illegally Worked for US Military Contractor - MyNewsLA.com A Mexican national who decades ago was ordered removed from the United States was arrested Friday for landing a job at a South Bay aerospace manufacturer and U.S. military contractor by allegedly lying on an employment authorization form that she was an American citizen. Alma Patricia Contreras Vill...

Employers with Salvadoran TPS employees are still awaiting formal guidance from DHS.
Although El Salvador’s current TPS period was scheduled to end September 9, USCIS and E-Verify have indicated that TPS protections and employment authorization remain in effect.

However, updated Form I-9 instructions and expiration dates have not yet been issued.

For now, employers should avoid assuming new expiration dates or automatically extending Form I-9 documentation without government guidance. Organizations should identify affected employees, document their compliance decisions, and closely monitor DHS, USCIS, and E-Verify for updates.

Read more:

El Salvador TPS Remains in Effect While Employers Await Formal DHS Guidance - WR Immigration Employers with Salvadoran employees working pursuant to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are facing an unusual compliance situation as DHS has not yet issued a formal decision regarding the future of El Salvador’s TPS designation. El Salvador’s current TPS period had been scheduled to end on Se...

A reminder for E-Verify employers: don’t forget to regularly check your Status Change Report.

The recent E-Verify Status Change Report helps employers identify employees whose employment authorization documents have been revoked — and DHS has expanded the report to include additional categories of revoked temporary employment authorization.
Employers should make reviewing this report a regular part of their compliance process and follow the appropriate Form I-9 steps when an employee appears on it.

It’s also a good time to review your broader I-9 practices. ICE has expanded its guidance on errors that may be considered substantive violations, including certain missing information, alternative procedure errors, and failures related to electronic I-9 systems and audit trails.

Consider this your reminder: proactive I-9 compliance is much easier than addressing issues after an audit.

Read more about the latest updates:

DHS Expands E-Verify Status Change Report and Substantive I-9 Violations View our DHS Expands E-Verify Status Change Report and Substantive I-9 Violations insight.