SAVE: Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement (SAVE) Process

The SAVE Program is a service that helps determine the immigration status of benefit applicants so only those entitled to benefits receive them. SAVE verifies the status of non-immigrants, immigrants, and certain naturalized and derived U.S. citizens. For SAVE to verify a benefit applicant’s status, the agency must have the applicant’s biographic information (first name, last name and date of birth) and a numeric identifier (Alien Number: Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record number; Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) ID number; or unexpired foreign passport number).

When to Use SAVE

All applicants and recipients of the TANF, SoonerCare (Medicaid), SNAP, LIHEAP, SSP, and Child Care Subsidy Program benefits are required to declare their citizenship status. Persons who declare themselves or their minor children non-citizens must present documentation of their legal alien status from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or other acceptable source. It is recommended to run SAVE during the original application. If another application or review comes around and the document has expired, SAVE should be initiated again.

Accessing and Using SAVE

There are 3 possible verification steps when using SAVE:

  1. Initial Verification
  2. Request Additional Verification (also called Second Step Verification), and
  3. Third Step Verification

Although many SAVE requests are resolved during Initial Verification, there may be instances when the request must be elevated to Second or Third Step Verification.

To access SAVE:

  1. go to the INFONET
  2. hover the cursor over Job Functions
  3. click Adult and Family Services from the drop-down menu.
  4. Next, scroll down the page to the heading Eligibility Tools and click Save.
  5. You will then be directed to the USCIS website. Click the “I Agree” BOX to give your consent and then click next.
  6. Sign in with your Username and Password and click Next.
  7. When the SAVE page of USCIS opens, click Initial Verification from the Quick Links on the right.
  8. Now Click the document type provided by the client. In the instance below, the client provided a Permanent Resident Card. Click Next.
  9. There are different versions of the Permanent Resident Card so your client’s card may look different than the one shown below. Enter the required information from the client’s Permanent Resident Card. The Alien/USCIS Number should always be 9 numerical spaces. Enter leading 0’s if the Alien/USCIS Number is less than 9 numbers. By clicking the question marks, it will give more details for how to locate information for that field. After all information is entered, click Next.
  10. An Information Confirmation page will open to review the information for accuracy. click Submit if everything is correct.
  11. Next is photo matching, which prompts the user to compare the client’s document with the photo displayed by the SAVE system. You have the options of Yes- photo matches, No- photo does not match, or Document not provided. Click the appropriate option and then click Next.
  12. On the Photo Confirmation page, click Submit to confirm your selection.
  13. You will receive a response within seconds on the View Case Details page. In this instance below, the client was a Lawful Permanent Resident. Other responses include United States Citizen, Refugee, Non-Immigrant, or Asylee. From here click View/Print Entire Case Details from the upper right corner so they can be scanned to the case record and then click Close Case since no further action is needed.

Institute Additional Verification (Second Step Verification)

During Initial Verification, if you receive the messages “Initial Verification Retry” or “No match found”, review the information for accuracy. If any of the information is wrong, make the corrections, Click “Retry Initial Verification” and wait for the response from the View Case Details page. If a match is still not found or the response is “Institute Additional Verification”, the case will need to be elevated to Second Step Verification. This indicates the verification could not be determined during initial verification. In this instance you would need to click Request Additional Verification.

Next, the SAVE system will direct you to the Enter Additional Information page. Provide additional information about the client and any important comments that may be significant to help resolve the case and click Submit. Take note of the Case Verification Number in the upper right part of the screen above and record it. Anytime you utilize Second or Third Step Verification, this is the number you will use to check back for the results, usually 3-5 federal working days after the verification is submitted.

Third Step Verification

On the Enter Additional Information page just mentioned above, SAVE recommends also attaching the front and back of the document from the Attach Document section. Attaching the front and back of the document is referred to as Third Step Verification but it can and should be used during Second Step Verification. This will cut down on resolution time in case the SAVE response comes back with “Resubmit with Doc”, which is the prompt for you to initiate Third Step Verification and that could take an additional 3-5 federal working days.

  1. To save the document to your computer so it can be attached for Third Step Verification, make sure the front and back of the document are in Imaging as one scanned document. Then, with the document open in Imaging, click the drop-down arrow beside the printer icon and click Export.
  2. Select Desktop since that’s typically the easiest place to save it, name the file and click Save.
  3. Now when you browse for the file to attach, you’ll find it on your Desktop. Just be sure you completely remove the file from your computer by deleting it from the desktop and from the recycle bin.

Search an Open Case

  1. After submitting Second or Third Step Verification, use the Case Verification Number to View Case Details. From the Save home page, click Search Cases.
  2. Search Cases is used to check for results on an open SAVE case. You’ll only use Initial Verification or Initiate Case from the Save home page to begin a brand new verification process. Fill in the Verification Number field with the Case Verification Number you would have recorded earlier and click Submit.
  3. A Case Summary List will open with a SAVE response. While the additional verification is being reviewed, the SAVE System response will say “DHS Verification in Process.” Click the Verification Number to View Case Details.
  4. If you have a final response, click View/Print Entire Case Details, scan to imaging and click Close Case. If not, follow the instructions given.

Things to Remember

  • Use Initial Verification or Initiate Case to begin a new verification.
  • Use Search Cases to check on cases you’ve submitted for more verification (use the Case Verification Number).
  • Scan front and back of immigration document as one document into Imaging.
  • Proceed to Second or Third Step Verification when necessary. Check back in 3-5 federal working days.
  • Write down or record the Case Verification Number to check back for SAVE response.
  • Attach scanned document when no match is found or you receive the response Institute Additional Verification.
  • Close every SAVE case after you receive the final response.
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