Ohio Administrative Code › Title 5101:4 - Division of Food Stamps › Chapter 5101:4-7 - Changes During the Certification Period; Income Eligibility Verification System (IEVS); Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) › Section 5101:4-7-14 - Food assistance: systematic alien verification for entitlements program

Current through all regulations passed and filed through July 1, 2024
A county agency shall use the systematic alien verification for
				entitlements (SAVE) program established by the department of homeland security
				United States citizenship and immigration service (USCIS). The county agency
				can access this system through the web-enabled SAVE system to verify the
				validity of documents provided by aliens applying for supplemental nutrition
				assistance program (SNAP) benefits. When accessing the SAVE system the county
				agency shall ensure that the individual's privacy is protected to the maximum
				degree possible.
(A) What is the SAVE
			 system?
The SAVE system is an information-sharing initiative allowing
				authorized staff to validate a noncitizen's immigration status by accessing
				USCIS data. The USCIS protects the individual's privacy in accordance with the
				Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952 and other applicable statutes. No
				consent for release of information is required to use the SAVE system.
(B) What are the methods of
			 verifying the authenticity of documents using the SAVE system?
There are three
									 methods for verifying documents provided:
(1)
			 Initial or primary verification uses the alien's alien registration number, or
			 "A-number" to provide alien status verification. This verification is used for
			 most applicants. The county agency is to compare the information provided
			 through the SAVE system with the documents provided by the individual. When the
			 documentation matches in the SAVE system, the process is complete and the
			 county agency is to include a copy of the "Initial Verification Result" in the
			 case record.
(2) Additional or
			 secondary verification provides a more extensive validation when problems
			 appear in the verification of alien status. Secondary verification is required
			 in any of the following situations:
(a) The
			 document appears to be counterfeit or altered.
(b) An individual presents unfamiliar USCIS
			 documentation or a document indicates immigration status, but does not contain
			 an "A-number."
(c) The document
			 contains an "A-number" in the A60 000 000 series.
(d) The document contains an "A-number" in
			 the A80 000 000 series.
(e) An
			 alien has no immigration documentation and is hospitalized, medically disabled,
			 or can otherwise show good cause for the alien's inability to present
			 documentation, and for whom securing such documentation would constitute an
			 undue hardship.
(f) An alien
			 presents a foreign passport and/or a I-94 "Arrival-Departure Record" form and
			 the "Admission for Permanent Residence" endorsement is more than one year
			 old.
(g) When an individual claims
			 lawful permanent (or conditional) resident status because they are a battered
			 alien, a parent of a battered child(ren) or a victim of domestic
			 violence.
(h) A "Certificate of
			 Naturalization" or a "Certificate of Citizenship" is presented, and
			 verification of U.S. citizenship status is required.
(i) When an automated check through the SAVE
			 system returns with a response "institute additional verification" or when
			 there is a material discrepancy between an individual's documentation and the
			 record contained in the SAVE system.
(j) When an additional verification request
			 is submitted to the SAVE system, the county agency is to include a copy of the
			 "Additional Verification Result" for the case record.
(3)
									A third-level
			 review is to be completed when SAVE needs to review a copy of the applicants
			 immigration documents to issue a verification response. When submitting a
			 third-step verification, the county agency is to scan and upload any relevant
			 immigration/citizenship documents to SAVE.