Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit Process

1. Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit Process Technical College System of Georgia Office of Adult Education FY19

2. Training Topics • Overview the VOEPB Process • Go over the VOEPB affidavit • Walk through each procedure • Show examples of key documents • SAVE verification • Submission Tips

3. Introduction • Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit (VOEPB) is the process where applicants identify their citizenship or immigration status and provide specific documentation in order to receive a public benefit • Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 50-36-1), not a federal regulation

4. Georgia Law States: • Agencies of the State providing or administering a public benefit (adult education) must require every applicant ages 18 and over to: • Provide one secure and verifiable document • Execute an affidavit and provide supporting documentation, if required

5. Applicant Responsibilities

6. Step 1 - Provide a Secure and Verifiable Document • Must be on the approved list from the Attorney General of Georgia • http://law.ga.gov/immigration-reports • Cannot be expired

7. Examples of approved SV Documents State-issued Driver’s Licenses and ID cards U.S. Military ID cards U.S. Passport U.S. Permanent Resident card

8. Other SV Documents Foreign Passport with visa Foreign Passport with paper I-94 Employment Authorization Cards

9. A Closer Look at the I-94 Departure Number Entry Date Visa Type Admitted Until Date Entry Location 23 11 74

10. Electronic I-94 • I-94 Retrieval Website https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/

11. Non-approved SV Documents • Consulate Card of any kind • International Driver’s License • National ID Card • Student ID • Voter ID • Foreign Passport without supporting documentation • Driver’s License from another country, except Canada • ITIN – Individual Taxpayer Identification Number • Social Security Card

12. Examples of Non-approved SV docs Consulate Card National ID Expired International Driver’s License Student ID

13. Step 2 – Complete an Affidavit • Name • Age • Status • A#, if applicable • Secure and Verifiable Document type • City • Signature and Printed Name of Applicant • Notarization • Document tracking

14. U.S Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident Steps • Provide a secure and verifiable document • Complete the affidavit and select a category • United States citizen • Legal permanent resident of the United States • Present the affidavit to a notary public and follow his/her instructions

15. Qualified Alien or Non-immigrant Steps • Provide a secure and verifiable document • Complete the affidavit and select a category • Qualified Alien/Non-immigrant • Present the affidavit to a notary public and follow his/her instructions • Provide supporting documentation that shows lawful presence

16. Qualified Alien or Non-immigrant Lawful Presence • Most commonly presented: • Foreign passport with I-94, I-94A, I-94W • Foreign passport with a U.S. Visa • Employment Authorization Card • J-1 visa authorization document with SEVIS ID • And many others

17. Supporting Documentation Examples J-1 Visa form (DS-2019) Foreign passport with I-94 Employment Authorization Card US Visa – w/ Passport

18. Supporting Documentation and Dates • Be aware that: • Dates on some U.S. Visas are not expiration dates of the person’s lawful presence, but rather, the timeframe when the person must enter the country. • Employment Authorization Cards have a 180-day grace period before they expire due to a backlog at USCIS. • A document may have expired, but they have a pending application for something else – Just ask them!

19. Expired Visa Example • Example: K-1 (fiancé/fiancée) visa • The applicant has six months from the issue date to travel to the U.S. before the visa expires.

20. Other Supporting Documentation • Department of State letter with picture and A# (usually given to refugees without any documentation from their home countries) • USCIS form I-797-A w/ detachable card • USCIS form I-797-C with biometrics data collection • Copy of I-94 from the retrieval website • Other U.S. Citizenship and Immigration documents • If you are not sure about a document, contact OAE

21. Not Supporting Documentation • Letter from an attorney or other advocate • Copy of a submitted USCIS application • Marriage license or spouse’s legal documents • Documents from when they were a MINOR (ORR) • Social Security Cards • Military ID – Dept. of Defense

22. Restricted Visas - B1, B2 • If you are presented with a B2 visa, ask if they have any other documentation or if they have evidence that they have applied for Asylum (an I-797-C with a biometrics appointment or a letter from USCIS). I-94 B2 (pleasure visitor) • I-94 B1 (business visitor) B1/B2 Visa

23. Other Restricted Visas • BBBCV (B1/B2 Border Crossing Visa) • Waiver Tourist visa stamp (WT) • C1/D is a transit visa and landing visa for crew members of vessels, e.g., cruise ships, airplanes • Waiver Business visa stamp (WB)

24. Restricted Visas - F1, M1 • M1 (student must pay tuition to attend a vocational school or college) • F1 (student must pay tuition to attend school or college)

25. Local Program Responsibilities

26. VOEPB forms and documents • Print the Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit Affidavit; have the list of secure and verifiable documents available for review. • If the document is going to be completed outside of the program, also give a copy of secure and verifiable documents. • Distribute the affidavit to all students ages 18 and over at the time of intake (AL290 for edit checks) • Provide a notary public, if able • Collect a copy of the secure and verifiable document and supporting documentation

27. Local Processing of Affidavits • Collect the notarized affidavits • Make copies of required documents • Record information in GALIS • Maintain the affidavits in the students’ permanent records • Review and identify qualified alien affidavits

28. Qualified Alien status: Local Program • Copies of the affidavit and supporting documentation must be submitted to OAE within 20 business days of receipt • Affidavits and supporting documentation may be submitted by mail only (as of July 1, 2018)

29. Qualified Alien status: OAE • Receives documents • Reviews the affidavit, secure and verifiable document, and supporting documentation • Submits the information to the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program

30. Refusal of Services and Appeal • If a applicant’s documentation is unable to be verified: • Program will be notified by OAE • Program must notify student • Student has 10 days to submit additional supporting documentation

31. Refusal of Services and Appeal • If student is unverified a second time: • Program must reject adult education services • Student may appeal to OAE • In writing • Within 10 business days • With additional supporting documentation or explanation

32. Keep in Mind • VOEPB Directions document is available • Applicants complete the affidavit only ONE time • Applicant can enroll while paperwork is pending • Prior year affidavits can be used • Pull VOEPB forms forward when students attend in a new fiscal year

33. Special Populations • Refugees have a Reasonable Opportunity Period or 90 days from U.S. entry date to acquire documents • Minors who were previously under the supervision of the Office of Refugee Resettlement have a Reasonable Opportunity Period or 90 days from their 18th birthday to acquire adult documentation • Programs need to work with Correctional and Institutional programs to satisfy VOEPB requirements in a reasonable manner

34. Submission Tips • Modify the top of the affidavit to include the name of the organization. It helps us keep them organized. • Do not submit original affidavits to OAE; please submit copies. Originals should be maintained locally in the student permanent record. • You do not have to submit the 2nd page of the affidavit, which is the list of Secure and Verifiable documents. • Send copies of both the secure and verifiable document and the supporting documentation, as required for submission.

35. More Submission Tips • Don’t be afraid to send too much. The more options we have to choose from when running documentation, the better. • Check all copies for legibility and completeness before submission. • Each program should have at least one “Local Program Point of Contact” who reviews each packet before submission and initials and dates in the space that says “Local Program POC Initials.”

36. Even More Submission Tips • Make sure each affidavit has the secure and verifiable document and the supporting documentation stapled to it. • We collect forms throughout the month and run them starting on the 1st of the following month. • We cannot accept visas by themselves. Please make sure a visa is accompanied by a passport. • I-94’s are the easiest documents for us to run.

37. And Finally… • In order to be cleared, all J1, J2, and F2 visa holders require a SEVIS ID, which is an 11-digit number that starts with an N. • Most common reasons for a document to go unverified: • Not enough information was submitted to enter into SAVE • Omission of the SEVIS ID for J1, J2, and F2 • Copies of documents were unreadable by staff • Person is in between a change in status • SAVE system database error

38. Referral Process • Work with local community agencies, organizations, and volunteer groups • Develop a referral process • Distribute contact information for other providers

39. Thank You • Thank you for your time and your attention. • Please direct questions about the VOEPB process at your organization to your local Point of Contact (POC) • Additional questions can be submitted to your assigned GPS Coordinator or the Instructional Services Technical Coordinator.