On July 1, Human Resources will become the central repository for the completed employment eligibility verification I-9 form. The office will store this paperwork for all UGA employees, including faculty, staff and temporary employees.
In accordance with the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act, all public employers in the state—including institutions in the University System of Georgia—are required on July 1 to participate in the federal work authorization program known as the Basic Pilot Electronic Employment Verification Program. The program verifies the validity of a new hire’s Form I-9 documentation by comparing it to information in databases at the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration. UGA human resources staff will use completed I-9 forms to log onto the federal system to check employment eligibility.
More than 16,000 employers nationwide currently participate in the Basic Pilot Program, administered by U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services.
For UGA to comply with the new state law and the requirements of the federal system, hiring units may need to submit a completed Form I-9 to Human Resources prior to a new hire’s employment start date. The change in procedure also is due to the short time frame required to complete the verification process.
In addition to the verification deadlines, the Basic Pilot Program requires that at least one document be a photo ID from List B on the I-9 form if a List A document is not used to complete the form.
Form I-9 for employees hired before July 1, 2007, should continue to be maintained in home departments until contacted by Human Resources.
Human Resources will provide more information about the deadline requirements for submitting Form I-9 as details are finalized. Questions may be directed to (706) 542-2222.
