D-8800, Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements

Revision 17-4; Effective December 1, 2017

The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program's Verification Information System (VIS) is a web-based application that provides alien status information using the applicants' alien registration number.

The SAVE System provides the following types of responses:

  • Initial Verification Results: First Name, Last Name, Country, Date of Entry, Date of Birth, Class of Admission (COA) and System Response; and
  • Additional Verification Results: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Response, Expires On, Response Date and DHS Comments.

If the alien’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) document is expired and the SAVE response shows the individual is a Lawful Permanent Resident - Employment Authorized and the Date Admitted is “Response is indefinite,” the individual meets alien status criteria.

Use the SAVE Verification Information System:

  • at application;
  • when adding a new household member identified as an alien; or
  • if a person's alien documentation has expired.

Exceptions:

When SAVE does not contain information about victims of severe trafficking or non-alien family members, call the trafficking verification toll-free number at 866-401-5510 to confirm the validity of the certification letter or Derivative T Visa and to notify the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the benefits for which the individual is applying.

SAVE does not normally contain information about American Indians born outside of the U.S. See Section D-8420, American Indians Born Outside the U.S.

 

D-8810 Getting Permission to Access SAVE

Revision 09-4; Effective December 1, 2009

Supervisors complete and route Form 4743, Request for Applications and System Access, to the regional security officer for employees who need access to the SAVE system.

 

D-8820 Primary Verification of Alien Status

Revision 13-4; Effective December 1, 2013

To obtain primary verification of alien status, follow these steps to access the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) System:

  1. Open the Verification Information System (VIS) website at https://save.uscis.gov/Web/vislogin.aspx?JS=YES, or in Data Broker through TIERS.
  2. Enter your User ID and password.
  3. Select Initial Verification from the Case Administration menu. The Initial Verification Information page appears.
  4. Enter the document type the applicant provided.
  5. Enter the applicant's information as it appears on the document:
  • Alien Number – Do not include the letter A when entering the information in SAVE. If the A number has fewer than nine digits, add leading zeros to make it a nine-digit number. USCIS is used on the new I-551 cards instead of Alien Number.
  • I-94 Identification Number – Known as the admission number, it consists of an 11-digit field. Enter leading zeros if the I-94 number provided has less than 11 digits.
  • Card Number – On older versions of cards, the card number is on the front of the card. It is 13 digits and has three letters in front of the number. On newer versions of the card, the card number is on the back of the card. It is still 13 digits and has three letters in front of the number.
  • Last name.
  • First name.
  • Date of birth.
  • Document expiration date, if applicable.
  1. Select the benefit type from the Benefits List (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) [formerly known as food stamps], Medicaid, TANF).
  2. Select Submit Initial Verification. The response appears in the Initial Verification Results section of the same page.
  3. The screen displays one of the following messages:
  • LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT – EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZED
  • INSTITUTE ADDITIONAL VERIFICATION
  • TEMPORARY RESIDENT/TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZED

Use the policy found in Section D-8610, Ineligible Aliens, if the message is TEMPORARY RESIDENT/TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZED.

  1. Review the results and select Print Case Details if using the stand-alone SAVE system. SAVE Case Details should then be imaged and put in the individual's case.

Note: If using Data Broker through TIERS, a copy of the SAVE screen is not needed, as the inquiry will be stored in the Data Broker history.

  1. Select Complete and Close Case to close the case (only if additional verification is not necessary). Once a case is closed, the user can view it for an additional 90 days.

Note: Staff should enter the correct alien number as listed on the document, not a default or fictitious number (for example, AAA000000, etc.).

 

D-8830 Additional Verification — Online Process of Alien Status

Revision 09-4; Effective December 1, 2009

To request additional verification:

  1. In the Initial Verification Results section, select Request Additional Verification. The Enter Additional Verification Data section appears.
  2. Edit the default information, if necessary; enter required information, and include as much information as possible. Use the Special Comments box to enter additional information to the Immigration Status Verifier (ISV) staff.
  3. Submit the request by selecting Submit Additional Verification. The response section appears indicating that the request is in process and will return the response within three working days.
  4. To view the status of the case, select View Cases from the Case Administration menu. The Case Search page appears.
  5. Enter the Case Search Criteria to search for cases based on the following case status:
  • all open cases
  • cases requiring action
  • cases with additional verification responses
  • cases in process
  • closed cases

Select Display Case Summary List to open the Case Summary List page. The list displays the Case Status for cases that require action, cases in process and closed cases. Click the Verification Number to view the Case Details. The user is able to print the case details, request additional verification and close the case.

If the system is unable to verify the immigration status with the information provided by the user in the automated additional verification request, or the document appears counterfeit, altered or expired, use the manual process in Section D-8840, Secondary Verification of Alien Immigration Status.

 

D-8840 Secondary Verification of Alien Immigration Status

Revision 19-4; Effective December 1, 2019

If staff are unable to verify an alien's immigration status through primary verification procedures, use SAVE to request additional information from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by requesting a Data Broker Combined Report through TIERS or the Data Broker Portal.

Once a request from USCIS is obtained for verification of immigration status, the information received must be processed. Staff receive one of the following responses from SAVE via the Combined Report in TIERS or in the Data Broker Portal:

  • 1st Level Verification - initial verification request in TIERS;
  • 2nd Level Verification - situations that require additional (secondary) verification in the Data Broker Portal; and
  • 3rd Level Verification - situations that require staff to upload documents for verification in the Data Broker Portal via SAVE.

For the 1st Level Verification, staff enter the information provided by the person into TIERS. Once the information is entered and SAVE is requested, SAVE will return an immediate response back indicating if the information entered was able to be verified with USCIS or if more information is needed.

If the information entered can be verified on the 1st Level Verification, staff will see the alien status, category code, and entry date. If the information entered is unable to be verified against USCIS records, then staff will have to proceed to 2nd or 3rd Level Verification responses to correctly verify the person’s citizenship and alien status.

For 2nd Level Verification and 3rd Level Verification responses, Data Broker automatically requests additional verification from SAVE. Once obtained from SAVE, staff receive an email from the Data Broker vendor notifying them that the verification requested has been returned from SAVE.

For 2nd Level Verification responses:

  • The Data Broker vendor sends a subsequent email notifying staff that the verification has been returned from SAVE.
  • Staff must then:
    • login to the Data Broker Portal to retrieve the information; and
    • update the Alien/Refugee Details page in TIERS accordingly.

For 3rd Level Verification responses:

  • Staff must:
    • upload the verification documents requested into the Data Broker Portal;
    • not mail the documents to USCIS; and
    • ensure only one PDF file containing all required verification documents is uploaded.
  • The Data Broker vendor sends a subsequent email notifying staff SAVE has returned the verification.
    • staff must then login to the Data Broker Portal to retrieve the information; and
    • update the Alien/Refugee Details page in TIERS accordingly.

Note: SAVE only populates alien sponsor information into TIERS for the additional verification response. This is unlike initial verification that populates the response data for the applicant in the appropriate ELDS tables on the TIERS Alien/Refugee-Details page.

Related Policy

Documentation and Verification Guide, Appendix XVI
Initial Request at Time of Application, D-5510
Verification of Alien Status, D-8700
Documentary Evidence by Classification, D-8710
Reasonable Opportunity to Provide Verification of Alien Immigration Status, D-8841
Entry Before 1996, D-8910
Entry on or After Aug.22,1996-Qualifed Alien No Waiting Period, D-8920
LPR Aliens With or Without Five-Year Waiting Period, D-8930

 

D-8841 Reasonable Opportunity to Provide Verification of Alien Immigration Status

Revision 14-2; Effective June 1, 2014

If you are unable to verify an alien's immigration status through primary or secondary verification procedures, allow the applicant a reasonable opportunity of 95 days following the date on which a notice is sent to an individual to provide another source of citizenship or alien status verification.