This week in my column in La OpiniónI explain what legal residents and naturalized U.S. citizens must do to obtain public benefits.
Before you can receive a public benefit such as a social security card, Medicaid, food stamps, or even a driver's license, the government agencies that provide these benefits must verify the eligibility of the person applying for them. This means that they generally must verify the person's immigration status. To do this, they use the Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlements (SAVE) system.
The SAVE program provides authorized agencies with information about a person's legal status to determine whether he or she is eligible to receive the public benefits for which he or she is applying. The agency, not SAVE, decides whether to grant the benefit once it verifies the person's eligibility. SAVE can verify nonimmigrant status, immigrant status, citizenship of naturalized persons, and citizenship obtained through relatives.
Before applying for benefits, make sure of the following:
Make sure your records have correct information before you apply. If you recently changed your name or personal information, or if the information on your immigration document is not correct, correct your immigration records. To do this, make an appointment with your local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office at https://infopass. uscis.gov or call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 for more information.
2. Present current immigration documents - the most recent ones issued - at the time you apply for the benefit. For example, if you received a new employment authorization card, present it since a previous one may have expired.
3. Present an immigration document that can be used for verification. The most commonly used immigration documents are: certificate of citizenship, permanent resident card, employment authorization document, unexpired alien passport, and certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant student status.
SAVE will review your information, verify it against U.S. Department of Homeland Security records, and send a response electronically to the agency. If immediate verification is not achieved, SAVE may request additional information and a copy of your immigration documents.
If in doubt, consult an immigration attorney for proper advice.
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