Page 143

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES NONFINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

10/24 VOLUME V, PART VII, APPENDIX II, PAGE 1

Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program

Section 121 of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), Public Law 99-603, required a system for verifying the immigration status of immigrants who apply for certain types of benefits. The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program was developed to prevent the issuance of benefits to ineligible immigrants. The use of SAVE is required for determining SNAP eligibility.

Immigrants must present documentation of their immigration status before eligibility can be determined for SNAP benefits. Part VII.F outlines the categories of eligible immigrants. Once the household provides documentation, the BPS may determine the validity of the documents by comparing the information submitted with current immigration records maintained by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). The process described in this appendix may also be used to obtain information about an immigrant’s sponsor to satisfy the requirements of Part XII.C.

Verification for immigrants with permanent status should not be resubmitted through SAVE once information has been obtained through SAVE. SAVE should be accessed periodically for immigrants with a temporary or conditional status however.

Primary Verification

Primary verification is the online access to immigration records. The BPS must attempt the online method before attempting the manual, paper-trail method of secondary verification unless circumstances listed in the Secondary Verification section exist.

Information obtained through SAVE should be compared with the original immigration document. If discrepancies are noted, initiate the secondary verification process. The BPS must not take any negative action based on the automated verification only.

Secondary Verification

The following circumstances require that the BPS skip online procedures and perform secondary verification when:

- Items presented as documentation appear altered or counterfeit.

- Documents have no Alien Registration Number (A-Number).

- Documents contain an A-Number in the A60 000 000 or A80 000 000 series.

- The document presented is any other form of USCIS fee receipt.

- The document presented is Form I-181 or I-94 in a foreign passport that is endorsed "Processed for I-551, Temporary Evidence of Lawful Permanent Residence," and the I-181 or I-94 is over one year old.

- The document presented is a receipt for an application for a replacement document for a qualified status as listed in Part VII.F.1.g. TRANSMITTAL #35