Non-Citizen Verification

SAVE

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA-86) mandates that the immigration status of each non-citizen applicant/recipient must be verified with USCIS as a condition of eligibility for CalWORKs, CalFresh, or Medi-Cal. USCIS has designated SAVE as the system used to verify each non-citizen's immigration status.

Refer to Common-Place Handbook SAVE Overview for more information.

Acceptable Verification

The following chart provides a list of acceptable documentation to determine if a non-citizen meets the “qualified” status. Eligibility Workers shall use the chart as a guide to aid in determining if the “qualified non-citizen” is presenting acceptable verification of immigration status.

Non-Citizen Status	Acceptable Verification
Lawfully admitted for permanent residence	USCIS Form I-551, or earlier Forms I-151, AR 3, AR-3A, if noted to show legal right to reside permanently.
Granted Asylee status	I-94 noting that the individual has been admitted under Section 208 of the INA, I-94 with admission codes AS-1, AS-2 or AS-3, I-94 with Visa 92 (V-92), Asylum Approval Letter from a USCIS Asylum office, or Order of an Immigration Judge Granting Asylum under Section 208 of the INA. [Refer to Asylee for instructions on how to determine the admission date for court orders.]
Granted Refugee status	INS Form I-94 endorsed paroled as a refugee under Section 207.
Granted parole status (for indefinite period)	I-94 endorsed to show paroled to U.S. for at least one year under Section 212(d)5.
Deportation is being withheld	Correspondence from USCIS stating that deportation is withheld under Section 243(h) of the Act (is in effect immediately before the effective date of Section 307 of Division C of P.L. 104-208) or Section 241(b)(3) of the Act (as amended by Section 305(a) of Division C of P.L. 104-208).
Granted Conditional Entry	Correspondence from USCIS showing conditional entry pursuant to Section 203(a)(7) of the Act as in effect prior to April 1, 1980.
Cuban/Haitian Entrants	Documentation showing Cuban/Haitian Entrant as defined in Section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980.
Battered	Documentation from USCIS showing approval under PRWORA Title IV, Section 431.
Granted indefinite voluntary departure	Correspondence from USCIS confirming indefinite voluntary departure.
Granted indefinite stay of deportation	Correspondence from USCIS confirming indefinite stay of deportation.
Trafficking Victim	Client's sworn statement under penalty of perjury (GEN 853). Refer to Human Trafficking Victims.
Victims of Domestic Violence and Other Serious Crimes	Receipt or letter from USCIS, I-797 based on an application for a U Visa, I-918, or an EAC issued under category “A19” or “A20.”
Compacts of Free Association (COFA) Citizens	I-94 with one of the following admission stamps: CFA/FSM - Compact of Free Association/Federated States of Micronesia, CFA/MIS - Compact of Free Association/Republic of Marshall Islands (some older versions may be marked CFA/RMI), or CFA/PAL - Compact of Free Association/Palau.

Note: Possession of the I-94 itself is not proof of permanent residence. The I-94 is also used for temporary residence. For a listing of the various documents and codes used by USCIS and the specific eligibility criteria, refer to Numbered Immigration Forms in the Common Place Handbook .

Non-Citizen Verification

SAVE

Acceptable Verification

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