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COMBINED MANUAL

ISSUE DATE 01/2018

SYSTEMATIC ALIEN VERIFICATION (SAVE)

0010.18.11.03

The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system is an inter-governmental information-sharing program that verifies immigration status, or naturalized/derived citizenship for applicants of federal, state and local public benefits. SAVE provides 2 methods to verify status - a secure electronic (primary), and a paper (secondary) method. SAVE is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Use SAVE to verify the immigration status, or naturalized/derived citizenship of applicants for MFIP, DWP, SNAP, GA, MSA, GRH, RCA, and MFAP. Also use SAVE to verify a change in immigration status of participants.

For SAVE to verify an applicant’s status, the agency must have:

● The applicant’s first name, last name and date of birth.

AND

● A numeric identifier from a USCIS document. For example:

- Alien or USCIS number.

- Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record number.

- Permanent Resident Card.

- Employment Authorization Document.

- Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) ID number.

- Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship.

- Valid/unexpired foreign passport number.

Do NOT use SAVE:

● For people who are not applying for benefits for themselves, even if they are applying on behalf of others.

● When a unit withdraws its application for assistance.

● When a unit transitions from one cash program to another without a break in eligibility, unless a change of status is reported.

For APPLICANTS:

1. Request USCIS documents from non-citizen(s) and/or those reporting naturalized, or derived citizenship. If the applicant cannot locate their paper documents, but is able to provide a numeric identifier, such as the Alien or USCIS number, use the number to query SAVE.

2. Use the documents provided to find the following: first name, last name, date of birth, and a USCIS numeric identifier. Expired documents can be used to find these biographic identifiers, with the exception of passports. Passports must be valid/unexpired.

3. Submit electronic SAVE query. Do not use the paper based verification method unless required by SAVE.

4. Once you receive the SAVE results, enter the immigration status verified by SAVE on the STAT/IMIG panel in MAXIS.

5. On STAT/IMIG update the Status Ver field in MAXIS to either S1 (Save Primary/electronic) or S2 (SAVE Secondary/paper method). Do not use the paper method unless required by SAVE.