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TANF POLICY MANUAL

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Each county has a designated “SAVE User”, who will access the SAVE Program and follow set procedures for providing requested verification of non-citizen applicant’s immigration/citizenship status.

4.6 Sponsor Definition A sponsor is any person and his/her spouse (if living in the home), any agency or organization that has signed an agreement that guarantees financial support of a non-citizen (Affidavit of Support; USCIS Form I-864 - effective 12/19/1997) as a condition of the non-citizen’s entry into the United States. NOTE: After December 19, 1997, most noncitizens are required to submit USCIS Form I-864 that has been signed by a sponsor.

1. Sponsor Contributions Non-citizens may have been granted a permanent resident status to enter and reside in the United States because of a sponsor. Counting the sponsor’s income and resources toward the sponsored non-citizen is called deeming. Deeming may be required for non-citizens whose sponsor signed an Affidavit of Support (USCIS Form I-864).

The deeming requirement applies only to LPRs whose sponsors executed the I-864 Affidavit.

2. Non-Citizens Exempt from Sponsor Deeming A. The following non-citizens are exempt from sponsor deeming: • Children under age 18 • LPRs who applied for an immigrant visa at a consular office or adjustment of status to LPR before December 19, 1997; • LPRs who adjusted from refugee or asylee status (refugees and asylees are not subject to the deeming provisions); • Qualified aliens who are sponsored by an organization or who are not LPRs and who are not required to have a sponsor (e.g., refugees, asylees, parolees, and Cuban and Haitian entrants); • Victims of severe forms of trafficking, who are not required to have a sponsor, and are required to be treated like refugees for purposes of eligibility for Federally funded or Federally administered public benefit programs • LPRs entering in employment or other nonfamily categories, such as the diversity category, where a sponsor did not have to sign Form I-864; • Non-citizens who earned, or can be credited with, 40 qualifying work quarters of coverage as defined under title II of the Social Security Act; • Non-citizens, including US nationals, who do not have sponsors; and, • Non-citizens whose sponsors signed affidavit(s) of support other than the I-864 Affidavit of Support.

B. The deeming requirements of a sponsor would not apply for a 12-month period if it has been determined that the sponsored immigrant or his/her family member(s):