User:Vipul/Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements

Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) is a program managed by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). SAVE facilitates lookups on the immigration and nationality status of individuals. It is an intergovernmental initiative designed to help federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies, or by a contractor acting on the agency's behalf, to determine eligibility for benefits, licenses or grants, government credentials, or to conduct background investigations. It is one of two programs that uses the Verification Information System (VIS). The other program is the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program, also known as e-verify, and is used by employers to verify the immigration status of employees. For additional verification (in cases where VIS proves inadequate), SAVE relies on the Person Centric Query System (PCQS).

Permissible uses and users

SAVE can be used by agencies of governments at any level in the United States, including:

• The federal government
• State governments
• Local governments (such as city and county governments)
• Tribal governments

A given agency is eligible to use SAVE only if determining the immigration and nationality status of individual is necessary for its work of one of these types:

1. Determination of eligibility for a federal, state, or local public benefit
2. Issuing a license or grant
3. Issuing a government credential
4. Conducting a background investigation
5. Any other lawful purpose

SAVE does not itself make determinations regarding the applicant's eligibility for a benefit or license. Rather, it simply provides an easy way to pull information about the benefit or license applicant from a variety of government databases. As discussed later, the absence of matching records in SAVE does not imply that the applicant's presence in the United States is unauthorized, or that the applicant is ineligible for the benefit. It simply means that the records accessible were not able to confirm the applicant's eligibility.

In addition to these, any contractor of an agency of the above description is eligible to use SAVE if the task contracted out to them requires immigration and nationality lookups for one of the above reasons.

Usage by customer agencies

Modes and stages of verification using SAVE

SAVE has three modes of electronic access that offer the same functionality.

• Web-based access, through the USCIS website accessed through a secure web browser
• Web services, an interface that uses a direct machine-to-machine connection
• SAVE via AAMVAnet (VLS), available to Department of Motor Vehicles in US states

SAVE allows for three levels of verification for those using the system electronically.

Verification stage	Description	Modality	Time taken	Cost
Initial Verification using the Verification Information System	This purely electronic verification process can take a few minutes for entering data and retrieving a response.	Electronic	The actual search takes 3 to 5 seconds; it may take a few minutes to enter all the relevant information to initiate the search.	$0.50, another $0.50 for retry
Additional Verification initiated using the Verification Information System	If the initial verification fails to turn up matches, or if there is a problem with the results, an additional verification can be initiated electronically by entering more information into the system	Electronic	This usually takes about 3 to 5 federal government work days (or about one calendar week). The information is returned electronically.	$0.50
Document Verification Request (Form G-845)	If the additional verification fails to turn up the information sought, SAVE electronically notifies the customer agency to submit an electronically prepopulated Form G-845, Document Verification Request, by mail to the USCIS Immigration Status Verification Unit with a copy of the applicant's immigration documentation.	Electronic/Mail (the supporting documents need to be sent by mail)	This usually takes 10 to 20 federal government work days (or about one calendar week). The information is returned electronically.	no charge (only if both the initial and additional verification are carried out electronically). In case the additional verification step is skipped, charge of $0.50.

In addition, there is also an option of pure paper-based verification, where the agency directly submits a paper Form G-845, and gets a response within 10 to 20 federal government work days. This costs the customer agency $2, compared to the total maximum charge of $1.50 if initiating the query electronically. However, this option is discouraged since the use of electronic means for Initial Verification saves time and money for all parties involved.

Initial Verification

For Initial Verification, the authorized caseworker of the customer agency needs to first log in to SAVE through the Verification Information System, after agreeing to the terms and conditions of usage. The caseworker may then choose the "Initiate Cases" tab, enter relevant information about the applicant whose status needs to be checked, and submit it. If matching records are found in the databases available to SAVE, these are returned. Some of these records may contain photos, which are also included in the response. The caseworker can respond whether the photo matches the corresponding photo submitted by the applicant or any other applicant photo. Only information related to the applicant is returned in the Initial Verification.

The Initial Verification process generally takes a few minutes. The case is kept open for 180 days (so the caseworker can access the case details at any time till then, and print out if needed) after which it are closed if no action is taken during that time.

Additional Verification

If the Initial Verification provides the caseworker with all the information needed to confirm the applicant's documentation, then no additional work needs to be done. However, an Additional Verification may be instituted (electronically, through the SAVE interface) in one of these two cases:

• SAVE is unable to find a record pertaining to the applicant. In this case, SAVE suggests to the caseworker to institute an Additional Verification. The caseworker is required to inform the applicant that SAVE returned this message, and if the applicant wants an additional verification, then the caseworker is required to institute it.
• The caseworker or applicant has concerns about the information returned in the initial verification. In this case, the caseworker can requests an Additional Verification (even though SAVE does not prompt the caseworker to do so).

Additional Verification can take 3 to 5 government work days. This step involves USCIS Immigration Status Verifiers making more sophisticated queries to various databases (including DHS systems and DOJ's EOIR system), to locate the applicant's records. Status Verifiers have read-only access to information contained in many other systems through the Person Centric Query System. Once the Status Verifiers have completed their search, the information is returned electronically to the caseworker through the SAVE interface.

Form G-845, Document Verification Request

If the Additional Verification fails to turn up any information, or if the Status Verifier detects discrepancies that can only be resolved by examining the applicant's documentation, SAVE provides an electronic notification to the caseworker and recommends that the caseworker submit Form G-845, Document Verification Request, with a copy of the applicant's immigration documentation. An already-filled electronic form is made available to the caseworker, who needs to print and mail it to the USCIS Immigration Status Verification Unit.

If the caseworker submits these documents, Status Verifiers conduct a more thorough search using PCQS, and may also request record corrections to the USCIS Central Index System (CIS) database by contacting the USCIS Records Division. A response should generally be returned within 20 federal working days, which is usually about one calendar month. If USCIS does not respond within that time, the caseworker can call the USCIS toll-free number to inquire into the status of the case.

Cost structure for customer agencies

Customer agencies are charged on a per-query basis, with a cost of $0.50 each for initial verification, retry, and additional verification, and a cost of $2.00 for a paper G-845 if the verification process is not initiated electronically. Billing is monthly, and there is a minimum monthly service transaction charge of $25.00 if the SAVE program is used at all, any time within the month. There is no charge during months when SAVE is not used at all. This pricing structure for SAVE has been effective since October 1, 2008.

Obligations of customer agencies

For a customer agency to sign up to use SAVE, the agency must agree to SAVE's Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) or Computer Matching Agreement (CMA). This covers a range of topics:

• The customer agency agrees to responsibilities regarding safe handling of information, minimum security standards for electronic transmissions, and breach incident notification. These provisions are compliant with requirements of the Federal Information Security and Management Act of 2002 (FISMA), relevant Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Sensitive Systems Policy 4300A.
• The customer agency agrees to various other obligations around the use of stages of verification. For instance, if the initial verification turns up no response, or if the information is inconsistent with what the applicant submitted, the agency must inform the applicant, and, if the applicant wishes to undergo additional verification, the agency must request additional verification.

Services for applicants

The SAVE program allows applicants for whom a verification has been initiated and is pending to check the status of their verification online, using SAVE CaseCheck through a web browser. To verify identity, the applicant needs to fill in information similar to that needed to initiate a verification, as well as the verification case number. Note that only existing pending verifications can be looked up using SAVE CaseCheck. It is not possible for a prospective applicant to use this feature preemptively, before a verification is initiated by the agency using SAVE.

SAVE also provides guidance to benefits applicants regarding what USCIS or CBP agencies to contact to request corrections in the records that SAVE uses for verification.

Data sources used

Sources used for the Verification Information System used for Initial Verification

The Initial Verification, which is the first step in using SAVE electronically, queries the SAVE system, which is updated daily through downloads from a number of agencies operating under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Below is a list of the databases from which SAVE gets daily updates:

Database name	Responsible agency	What it includes
Arrival and Departure Information System (ADIS)	U.S. Customs and Border Protection	Information on the arrivals and departures by the alien. This can be used to verify information in Form I-94 documentation presented by the alien.
Central Index System (CIS)	United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, but referenced by the whole U.S. Department of Homeland Security	CIS has an Alien File (A-File) for all aliens (people who are not United States citizens) who have had contact with any of the U.S. immigration agencies. This includes people who have visited in non-immigrant status as well as lawful permanent residents. CIS can be used as a reference for a person's immigration history.
Computer-Linked Application and Information Management System (CLAIMS) 3	United States Citizenship and Immigration Services	A system for providing and updating information about all petititons and applications submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the exception of naturalization, refugee, and asylum petitions.
Computer-Linked Application and Information Management System (CLAIMS) 4	United States Citizenship and Immigration Services	A system for providing and updating information about naturalization petitions.
Enforcement Integrated Database (EID)	U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement	All information pertaining to immigration enforcement for the individual, including criminal history and enforcement actions.
Enterprise Document Management System (EDMS)	unknown	unknown

Data not present

Based on a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the DHS and the U.S. Department of State, passport numbers are not included in the information returned to customer agencies using SAVE.