105-14 SYSTEMATIC ALIEN VERIFICATION FOR ENTITLEMENTS - ELECTRONIC VERIFICATION PROCESS
The SAVE Program is an inter-governmental initiative designed to aid benefit-granting agencies in determining an applicant’s immigration status, and thereby ensure that only entitled applicants receive federal, state, or local public benefits and licenses. The SAVE Program, run by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), verifies the immigration status of aliens applying for Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance and Medicaid benefits.
The SAVE Program provides an electronic verification process through an online system through the Verification Information System and a paper-based verification process through the Form G-845, Document Verification Request.
105-14 A VERIFICATION INFORMATION SYSTEM ( VIS )
The Verification Information System (VIS) is the online electronic verification process to determine an applicant’s immigration status.
Verification of alien status through VIS is required for each individual applying for Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance, and Medicaid. All verification done through VIS must be clearly documented in the case record. The alien’s documents must correspond to the VIS response to verify their eligibility for these public assistance programs.
105-14 B LOGGING INTO VERIFICATION INFORMATION SYSTEM ( VIS )
To verify the status of aliens who are applying for assistance, the caseworker must log into VIS Automated Status Verification System as follows:
Go to the DPA website. At the right side of the page, under Quicklinks, click on Verification Information System. This will take you to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services Verification Information System Logon. You may also enter this link on the web browser: https://save.uscis.gov/web/.
You will see a warning notice. Click the "I agree" box, and then click Continue. This will take you to the login page.
On the login page, enter your user ID and password.
Note:
Each DPA employee is assigned a User ID and a temporary password. If this is your first time using VIS and you have not been issued a user ID and password, contact your supervisor for assistance. Systems Operations issues all VIS user ID and password to DPA employees. Once an employee has secured their user ID and temporary password, Systems Operations will also provide instructions on changing the password. The guidelines for changing passwords in VIS are provided by USCIS. Systems Operations will provide staff the updated guidelines when issuing the user ID and password.
Once you have successfully logged into the system you will enter the main page. On the left hand side of the main page you will find the Navigation area that contains menus. Each menu lists the functions available to the user.
Case Administration
This menu contains three functions available to search or submit a query: Initial Verification, Additional Verification,
and Search Cases.
User Administration Contain functions that allow users to maintain their own account information. This includes
Change Password and Change Profile.
Reports
Contain the link to the report launcher. The link is labeled View Reports.
Note:
Although the View Reports function is available to DPA , caseworkers do not need to use this function.
105-14 C SUBMITTING AN INITIAL VERIFICATION
To verify an applicant’s immigration status, the first step is to submit an initial verification to USCIS .
To initiate a query go to the Case Administration category and click on Initial Verification. The Enter Applicant Information page appears.
The Enter Applicant Information page contains a list of evidentiary documents that is tailored to DPA ’s verification requirements. Select the document presented by the applicant by clicking the button. You may only select one document per query. If the document the applicant provided is not listed, click "Other (Use Document Description") and provide the alien number. Click Next to continue the verification process.
Based upon the document selected, the system will return the required data fields for you to complete. Enter the applicant’s evidentiary document information data (Alien Number, Card Number) and personal information (Last Name, First Name, and Date of Birth) into the required data fields.
When entering the Alien number, do not include the letter "A." If the A-number has fewer than nine digits, add leading zeros to make it a nine-digit number.
For example:
If the alien ID number shows as A123456 you would enter 000123456; if it were A12345678 you would enter 012345678. If INS has not issued an alien number or if an individual has an I-94 admission number, enter all nines: 999999999.
Click Next to proceed. If there are data entry errors, the system returns an error message in a red box at the top of the page with directions to correct the error before proceeding. If there are no errors, the next step is to Confirm Applicant Information.
The Confirm Applicant Information page allows you to confirm all data entered against the document presented by the applicant before submitting the request for initial verification. Use the Back button to return to the previous page to correct or modify the data entered. If all the data is correct, click Next button to submit query.
Retry Initial Verification Option - If there is a mismatch in the data entered, the system returns a page with the following information:
Case Verification Number
System instruction message in box at the top of the page
Mismatched data field(s)
Applicant information submitted
Selected benefit(s)
To correct the mismatched data field(s), make the necessary changes and then click the Retry Initial Verification button
If there is no mismatch data, the system will connect to the Case Details page and provide the results of your initial verification query. The results include information from the immigration database relating to the person associated with the alien number, a case verification number, and an immigration status message in the System Response line.
Case Verification Number
This is a unique number assigned to the case. This number will always remain associated with the case and can be used to retrieve the case in the future.
Initial Verification
This section displays the information returned by the system based on the information you entered on the Initial Verification Information form.
Initial Verification Results
This section will provide the Alien’s full name, Country of Birth, Date of Birth, Date of Entry and the client’s Alien Status. Review this information. It is important to verify that the information in the Initial Verification Results section matches the information on the applicant's immigration documentation. If you find any discrepancies between the information noted in the Initial Verification Results and the hard copy Immigration documentation the individual provided, or if "Institute Additional Verification" appears in the System Response line, you must request additional verification. See MS 105-14 D and MS 105-14 E for instructions on requesting additional verification.
If you do not find any discrepancies or do not receive an "Institute Additional Verification" system response, you can close the case. It is recommended that you print the Case Detail information for your file. To print, click the Print Case Details button. Once you have successfully printed the Case Detail, click the Complete and Close Case button.
Note:
The Complete and Close Case button is not the same as the Close button. The Close button only removes the Case Details page from your screen. It does NOT close the case, nor does it remove the case from the user workload. If you have entered all the individual Alien numbers needing verification, you may click Exit at the top right hand corner of the VIS screen. This will log you out of the system.
After you close the case, the Case Closure Information section appears below the results. The information in this section includes the user ID of the person who closed the case and the date of closure. It helps overall system performance to close completed cases.
105-14 D ADDITIONAL VERIFICATION
The caseworker must request additional verification from the applicant if the following conditions exist after an initial verification:
There are discrepancies between the data in the Initial Verification Results section and the information on the applicant's immigration document.
The message "Institute Additional Verification" appears in the System Response line.
The first step for requesting additional verification is to select Request Additional Verification. Selecting this button causes the Enter Additional Verification Data section to appear below the Initial Verification Results section.
Complete the Enter Additional Verification Data section. Additional verification data includes: Individual’s last name, first name, middle name, other names used or A.K.A., I-94 number, date of birth, user case number, the type of verification provided, document expiration date, description of the document, and any special comments the caseworker would like to communicate to the Immigration Status Verifier.
After you enter any additional information, submit the request by selecting Submit Additional Verification.
After you submit the additional verification request, the information appears in the Additional Verification section. The Additional Verification Results section also appears, indicating that the request is in process.
The USCIS SAVE Program usually returns a response to a request for additional verification within three to five federal government workdays. For more information on checking for responses, refer to MS 105-14 H. In the response, the system provides either responses:
The applicant’s current immigration status
A message to continue to third step ”Resubmit Doc (2 Sided Needed)”
If the system provides the applicant’s current immigration status, the verification process is complete. If the status is not confirmed and a message "Resubmit Doc (2 Sided Needed") is received, follow the procedure in 105-14 F.
105-14 E Submitting I-94 Information as Additional Verification
If the applicant only has an I-94 number, you will need to use the Additional Verification option to verify immigration status. This option, located on the Case Administration menu, allows you to request further research on the case without first performing an initial verification.
The Additional Verification option allows you to request immediate additional verification without first performing an initial verification for applicants presenting I-94 numbers.
The first step is to select Additional Verification from the Case Administration menu. This takes you to the Additional Verification page.
The second step is to enter information from the applicant's I-94 document on the Additional Verification page.
An asterisk (*) indicates required information. However, it is best to provide as much information as possible.
Make sure that you enter the applicant's name exactly as it appears on the immigration document.
Enter the 11-digit I-94 number from off of the applicant's arrival/departure record. Enter the applicant's birth date in the Date of Birth box in the mm/dd/yyyy format. For example, 03/10/2003.
The Document Type list defaults to I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) and cannot be changed.
When entering the date in the Doc. Expiration Date box, use mm/dd/yyyy format.
The Special Comments box can be used to enter any other type of information that you want to communicate to the Immigration Status Verifier.
The last step is to submit the information you entered by selecting Submit Additional Verification. This takes you to the Case Details page.
The information you submitted displays in the Additional Verification section of the Case Details page. The Status line in the response section indicates that the request is in process. The verification number assigned by the system is displayed in the message area.
Note:
The verification number is the system-generated number that appears in the message area when a verification request is submitted. The first thirteen digits contain the year, day, and time the case was submitted, encoded as follows: First four digits is the year, next three digits the Julian date, next two digits the hour, next two digits the minute, and the next two digits are the seconds. The last two characters in the verification number are part of an alphanumeric sequence number that helps to uniquely identify this case.
The SAVE Program usually returns a response to a request for additional verification within three to five federal government workdays. See MS 105-14 F for instructions on searching for cases and responses.
105-14 F Third Step Verification - Using the G-845 Form
After the caseworker submits an additional verification, there may be a need for more information before the case can be resolved. A third-step verification query can be initiated after an additional automated verification has proved unsuccessful and more information is needed (i.e. copy of documents) and the Immigration Status Verifier returns a comment that further documentation is needed.
The G-845 form is used to ask for additional information from USCIS needed to verify immigration status of aliens applying for Temporary Assistance, Food Stamps, and Medicaid programs. USCIS requires that DPA submits a separate G-845 form for all alien needing additional information.
To initiate third-step verification, select the Resubmit Verification button. After the caseworker submits a third-step verification request, a browser will open with a pre-populated G-845, which includes the Verification Case Number.
It is important for the caseworker to print out and attach this version of the G-845 to the documents provided by the applicant. USCIS also asks that caseworkers do not fill out a G-845 form by hand.
To print the pre-populated form, the caseworker will select "Print" from the "File" menu in the web browser or right click within the form and select "Print". Once ”Print” is selected, the system screen will update.
Once the system screen updates, caseworker may also select Reprint G-845 to print-out the G-845 if the original browser window has been closed. As a reminder, to print the pre-populated form, select "Print" from the "File" menu in the web browser or right click within the form and select "Print".
After printing the pre-populated G-845, the caseworker will send the G-845 and supporting documents to the designated address below:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
300 N. Los Angeles Street, B120
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Attn: Immigration Status Verification Unit
Incorrect and incomplete verification requests will be returned for resubmission. Responses to third-step verifications will be returned within 20 federal working days and may also be found in the case list under "Cases with Third-Step Verification Responses." If USCIS does not provide a response after 20 federal working days, caseworkers may call USCIS toll-free at (877)469-2563 to check the status of the G-845.
USCIS Photocopy Requirements
The caseworker must attach photocopies of all original immigration documentation to the G-845, or USCIS will reject the form without a status determination. The photocopied verification must be stapled to the G-845 with one staple in the upper left corner. The document submitted must have a photograph of the applicant whenever possible. If the immigration document does not have a photograph, the caseworker may submit any other identification which has a photograph, such as a driver’s license or state ID card. The caseworker should also submit any other relevant documents that the alien may have such as marriage records or court order. These documents may not verify immigration status, but may be helpful in the secondary verification process.
USCIS requires DPA to photocopy both printed sides of each USCIS issued card or form. When the alien presents a foreign passport, copy only those pages that identify the issuing country, holder, and immigration status while in the United States. Alien documentation may be photocopied as long as the copies are not used for criminal purposes. Any document issued by USCIS that is illegal to copy will have a warning printed on the document. A copy of every alien applicant’s immigration documentation must be filed in the applicant’s casefile. Refer to MS 103-1 for more information about DPA casefiles.
Aliens with documentation forms I-688, I-688A, and I-689 must sign a disclosure statement entitled ”Consent of Disclosure” (GEN-46) and a copy with the original signature must be attached to the Form G-845. The caseworker must have these aliens sign the ”Consent of Disclosure” during the interview. Aliens with these documentation numbers have applied for status under the legalization (amnesty) or Special Agricultural Worker Provisions of IRCA . When using VIS to verify documents for the Food Stamp Program, the Consent of Disclosure is not required.
105-14 G SEARCHING AND VIEWING CASES
The "Search Cases" option allows caseworkers to perform the following tasks:
Search for cases
Display a list of cases
Access the details of a specific case
When searching for cases, the system by default will limit the cases displayed to only cases within the caseworker’s workload or requests submitted.
The first step is to select Search Cases from the Case Administration menu. This takes you to the Case Search page.
Enter the criteria for your search on the Case Search page. You can search for cases based on case status alone, or you can include other specific criteria. The default Case Status option is All Open Cases. You may use this option or select another. The meaning of the various case status values are as follows:
All open cases - All cases requiring action, plus all cases in process.
Cases requiring action - These are cases with an initial verification status other than "additional verification required" and cases with additional verification responses. These cases should be closed.
Cases with additional verification responses - These are cases that have been submitted for additional verification and the additional verification response has been received but the case has not been closed.
Cases with Third-Step Verification Responses - These are cases that have been submitted for verification and an additional verification response has been received but the case has not been closed.
Cases in process - These are cases that have been submitted for additional verification, but a Status Verifier response has not been received.
Closed cases - These are cases that have been closed.
If you want to search for a specific case, you can use the Verification Number, Alien number, I-94 Number or User Case Number.
When your search includes any of these criteria, it is important that you select the correct Case Status in order for the system to locate the case.
To see a list of cases that were initiated during a specific time period, enter those dates in the Date Initiated From and Date Initiated To boxes.
After entering the criteria for your search, select Display Case Summary List. This takes you to the Case Summary List page.
Each row on the Case Summary List page displays information for a single case, which is identified by the verification number. You can access the detailed case information by selecting this number.
The column headers identify the type of information that appears for each case. To change the order of the list by column, select a column header.
The first column, Case Status, contains icons that represent the status of the case. The Legend area at the bottom of the screen contains a description of each icon. You may also refer to MS 105-14 F (2) for the meaning of the various case status values.
Scroll bars along the bottom and right side of the screen will appear if the list and case information extends beyond the viewing area.
You can access the detailed history of a specific case by selecting the case verification number.
The Case Details page displays the history for the case that was selected on the Case Summary List page. From this page, you can print the case details, request additional verification, complete and close the case or go to the previous page.
105-14 H USCIS CONTACT NUMBERS
For inquiries concerning case status, or if USCIS does not provide a response after the number of days designated in this procedure, caseworkers may call USCIS toll-free at (877)469-2563. Caseworkers need to have the case verification number to obtain assistance.
Case status inquiries and designated number of days to receive responses:
Electronic verification requests pending over 5 federal working days.
G-845 request pending over 20 federal working days (from USCIS Receipt)
SAVE Customer Service and Support
For questions regarding the web access and features, or general questions regarding the SAVE Program, caseworkers may call (888) 464-4218, or send an email to: SAVE.Help@dhs.gov.
There is also general information on the web about the SAVE program:
SAVE Website: www.uscis.gov/save
USCIS Website: www.uscis.gov
105-14 I ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION
After receiving the response from USCIS , the caseworker must refer to the eligibility requirements of the applicable public assistance program to determine whether the applicant or recipient is qualified for a benefit. Benefits cannot be delayed or denied solely on the basis of alien status of the individual if they meet the following requirements:
The alien has provided documentation of their Alien status;
The VIS process has been initiated; and
The secondary verification process has not been completed.
In such cases, benefits can be issued as long as the individual is otherwise eligible and the initial attempts to verify alien status through VIS are documented in the case record.
105-14 J PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING CASES WITH SUSPECTED UNDOCUMENTED OR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Recent guidance from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) limits the circumstance that requires public assistance agencies to report suspected undocumented immigrants or illegal aliens to their agency.
When handling cases where there is suspect of undocumented immigrant(s) in the household, the following guidelines must be applied:
HOUSEHOLD IS APPLYING FOR FOOD STAMP PROGRAM
The caseworker will not determine that a household member is ineligible to receive food stamps because that person is in the U.S. illegally unless specific documentation is provided showing illegal status.
A caseworker must never assume that a household member is in the U.S. illegally if they fail to provide documentation of their legal status.
A report will not be made to the local USCIS office if the caseworker determines the alien is ineligible to receive benefits because the alien failed to provide documentation showing proof of legal status in the U.S.
If the caseworker receives a confession from a household member that they are in the U.S. illegally, the caseworker will determine that the household member is ineligible to receive food stamps only if there is documentation that supports the confession. If there is no documentation that supports the confession, the caseworker will require the household member to provide documentation of legal status. If the household member does not provide the documentation, deny benefits for the household member for which information was not received.
A report will be made to the local USCIS office only if a confession from the alien is received that they are in the U.S. illegally and there is documentation that supports the confession.
HOUSEHOLD IS APPLYING FOR OTHER DPA PROGRAMS
If an applicant fails to provide proof of legal alien status for a member of the household, the caseworker will not make any further investigation of the household member’s legal status.
If an applicant fails to provide documentation of legal alien status for a member of the household, the caseworker will consider the household member ineligible for public assistance due to failure to provide documentation of legal alien status.
Since the caseworker did not determine the household member ineligible for benefits due to their illegal status, the household member will not be reported to INS.
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