This policy was a part of the former UPS Policy set that was integrated into the System Administrative Policy set. It applies to all University of Wisconsin institutions except for UW-Madison. For UW-Madison’s policies, please see the Human Resource Design Policies website.
Original Issuance Date: July 1, 2015
Last Revision Date: April 2, 2018
1. Policy Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to promote compliance with the federal laws and regulations that govern the employment eligibility verification process for all employees.
2. Policy Background
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires state employers to document verification of the identity and employment authorization of each new employee (both citizen and non-citizen) to work in the United States.
The authority for collecting this information is the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), which is administered by USCIS and requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of employees who are hired on or after November 7, 1986.
3. Policy Definitions
Please see SYS 1225, General Terms and Definitions, for a list of general terms and definitions.
4. Policy
It is the policy of the UW System to verify the eligibility of individuals for employment and to preclude the unlawful hiring of aliens who are not authorized to work in the United States. USCIS Form I-9 is the document used to verify an individual’s identity and employment eligibility. Both the employee and the UW representative complete Form I-9. The employee has responsibility for completing section 1 no later than the first day of employment, and the UW representative completes section 2 within three business days of the date employment begins. The Form I-9 provides step-by-step instructions to complete the document.
Employers will use this information as a record of the basis for determining eligibility of an employee to work in the United States. The Form I-9 will be kept by the employer and made available for inspection by officials of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, the Department of Labor, and other authorized agencies related to unfair employment practices.
5. Related Documents
6. Policy History
Revised: 04/02/2018