SAVE Overview

The IRCA mandates that the immigration status of each noncitizen applicant/recipient must be verified with USCIS as a condition of eligibility for CalWORKs, CalFresh or Medi-Cal. The Agency has expanded the mandate to include the CAPI. USCIS has designated SAVE as the system to be used to verify each noncitizen's immigration status. However, the SAVE program does not determine an applicant’s eligibility for the actual benefit. The responsibility for determining eligibility for benefits remains with the EW.

Definition

The SAVE program is administered by the USCIS, a component of the DHS and uses a web-based service to help federal, state and local benefit providers in determining noncitizen applicants’ immigration status and thereby ensures that only entitled applicants receive public benefits. The SAVE program verifies the status of nonimmigrants, immigrants, and certain naturalized and derived U.S. citizens.

Informing

CalWORKs, CalFresh, CAPI, GA and Medi-Cal applicants/recipients must be notified at application and at the annual redetermination/recertification that information available through SAVE will be requested and utilized. The notification of the use of SAVE must include all of the following:

The immigration status of applicant noncitizen will be verified with USCIS through SAVE, and
Such verification will require the disclosure to USCIS of certain information, and
Information received from USCIS may affect their eligibility and benefit level.

The SAWS 2 Plus, CW 8, CW 8A, SOC 814 and CF 285 contain sufficient information to notify all cash aid and CalFresh applicants/recipients of the use of SAVE. The SAWS 2 Plus and MC 13 contain sufficient information for Medi-Cal applicants/recipients.

Time Frames

The EW must not delay, deny, reduce, or terminate benefits based upon failure to provide documentation of noncitizen status prior to the end of the application processing period. If at the end of the application processing period the noncitizen cannot or refuses to provide the required documentation, deny per specific program requirements.

Refer to Specific Programs.

Requirements

The immigration status of each noncitizen applicant/recipient of CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal, and CAPI must be verified with USCIS through SAVE at the following intervals:

At intake, for each new applicant
Anytime a new person is added to the AU, MFBU, CF household or CAPI case,
Anytime a change in noncitizen status is reported,
At the next redetermination for each Medi-Cal and CAPI recipient, and
At the next redetermination/recertification for each CalWORKs and CalFresh noncitizen recipient with time limited immigration status.

USCIS Documentation

Noncitizen applicants must provide original USCIS documentation of immigration status before the EW initiates SAVE verification. Noncitizen applicants must request new documents from USCIS whenever (for any reason) they do not/cannot provide original USCIS documents.

The acceptable documents that USCIS issues to lawful U.S. residents are:

I-551, Resident Alien Card
I-551*, Conditional Resident Alien Card
I-151, Alien Registration Receipt Card
AR-3A, Alien Registration Receipt Card
I-181, Memorandum of Creation of Record of Lawful Permanent Residence
I-688*, Temporary Resident Card
I-327*, Re-Entry Permit
I-571*, Refugee Travel Document
I-94*, Arrival-Departure Record (Does not always have an “A” number)
I-689*, Fee Receipt.

* These documents are invalid if the expiration date has passed.

USCIS Local Field Office

Noncitizens are required to obtain and provide acceptable USCIS documentation. Noncitizen applicants who do not have acceptable USCIS documentation are responsible for obtaining it for themselves and must be given the address of the nearest USCIS office:

USCIS
1450 Coleman Ave.
Santa Clara, CA 95050
1-800-375-5283
(USCIS Contact Center)

In order to visit this office or to speak with an Immigration Services Officer, the individual must have an appointment scheduled by USCIS, or must schedule an InfoPass appointment on the USCIS website.

SAVE CaseCheck

SAVE CaseCheck is an online system for applicants. Applicants are encouraged to access the SAVE CaseCheck to track the progress of their immigration status verification case. The SAVE CaseCheck Fact Sheet SCD 2487, is available on the DEBS forms website and should be provided to applicants inquiring on the status of their SAVE immigration case.