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MS 0570 [1]

Volume 1 – General Administration MS 0570 – R. 6/1/26 – OMTL - 696 Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement (SAVE)

Federal law requires that the immigration status of aliens applying for benefits be verified. The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement (SAVE) is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) system of verification for this purpose. SAVE is used to re-verify the initial documentation of the immigrant's status received from the alien. Any applicant who is not a U.S. citizen or national is required to carry immigration documentation that contains an Alien Registration Number (A-Number) or an I-94 Admission Number. These numbers are used to access SAVE.

[For aliens who have permanent resident status, the SAVE process is completed only once. For all other aliens, the SAVE process is repeated at every application or recertification, or until they are granted permanent resident status.]

Do not complete a SAVE inquiry on victims of human trafficking. However, do complete a SAVE inquiry on eligible family members of trafficking victims.

[Do not complete a SAVE inquiry on individuals who are not applying to receive benefits.

Under no circumstances may a State agency:

A. Require any information about the citizenship or immigration status of anyone who is not applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);

B. Deny SNAP to applying household members because a non-applicant household member has not disclosed his or her citizenship or immigration status or Social Security Number(SSN); or

C. Try to establish or verify immigration status through any means other than the procedures outlined below. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has primary responsibility to determine the status of non-citizens.]

Use the following procedure when an alien applies for benefits.

A. Initiate a request for verification by SAVE. Send a memorandum with the following information to the Regional Office:

1. Case name and number;

2. For each alien member: name, the corresponding alien registration number, birthdate, the type of documentation provided, and if available, SSN and the I-94 admission number; and

3. Worker name, code, and phone number.