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Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services |
There is a hierarchical order of acceptable documents that can be used to verify citizenship with Level 1 being the most reliable and Level 4 being the least reliable. Acceptable documents that can be used to verify identity are in Level 5 and 6 with Level 5 being more reliable than level 6. While any document in the various levels is acceptable, applicants and recipients must provide documentation from the highest level that can be obtained during the reasonable opportunity period. See the updated Citizenship Documentation Requirement list .
Primary evidence documents both citizenship and identity. Primary evidence of citizenship and identity is the most reliable way to establish that the person is a U.S. citizen. If an individual presents documents from level 1, no other information is required; however, relatively few MA applicants and recipients may be able to provide documents from this group.
Secondary evidence of citizenship is the next most reliable way to establish someone is a US citizen. Many MA applicants and recipients will be able to present documents from level 2 during the reasonable opportunity period and should be encouraged to do so. Note, however, that a document from this group is evidence of U.S. citizenship only and must be accompanied by evidence of identity.
NOTE: Completing an on-line birth query (level 2 documentation) can be done for all persons born in Wisconsin. Enter tran code MNOS on CARES mainframe screen, hit enter, then F2. There is no cost to the agency to use this method of verification.
Third level evidence of U.S. citizenship is acceptable and may be presented by applicants and recipients who are unable to obtain level 1 or level 2 evidence during the reasonable opportunity period. As with level 2 evidence, a document from this group is evidence of U.S. citizenship only and must be accompanied by evidence of identity.
Fourth level evidence of U.S. citizenship is acceptable evidence of the lowest reliability. While most MA applicants and recipients will be able to present documents at this level, they should do so only if unable to obtain evidence of citizenship from the other levels during the reasonable opportunity period. As with second and third level evidence, a document from this group is evidence of U.S. citizenship only and must be accompanied by evidence of identity.
Level 5 documentation can only be used to verify identity. Documentation of citizenship from levels two through four must be accompanied by evidence of the applicant’s or recipient’s identity.
In order to assist applicants and recipients in complying with the new federal requirement to verify identity, the list of acceptable documentation has been expanded to include the documents listed below.
NOTE: This expansion is in effect on a temporary basis pending the release of final federal regulations regarding the citizenship and identity requirement.
Only if an individual is unable to provide an acceptable identity document from Level 5 may one of the following state-defined identity documents from “Level 6” be used to meet the identity verification portion of the requirement. A document from the list below can be used to verify identity but only when nothing else is available.
Military discharge papers, including the Federal DD-214
Certified copy of a marriage certificate or judgment of divorce
International driver license
Employee photo ID card issued by the current employer which contain the employer's name and either the employer’s address or telephone number.
Maintain copies of any of these documents used as verification in the case record.
This page last updated in Release Number: 07-07
Release Date: 08/30/07
Effective Date: 08/30/07