SR 04-30 Dated 05/04

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

 

SIGNATURE DATE:

December 10, 2004

FROM:

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR Terry R. Smith

AT (OFFICE):

Division of Family Assistance

TO:

DFA Supervisors

 

SUBJECT:

Verification of Non-Citizen Status via the Verification Information System (VIS) for All Programs of Assistance

RETROACTIVE EFFECTIVE DATE:

 

May 3, 2004

 

 

SUMMARY

 

This SR releases a change in the procedures used to verify non-citizen status. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Verification Information System (VIS) is available via the Internet and is now used in primary and secondary verification procedures for non-citizens applying for financial and/or medical assistance and food stamp benefits.

 

Old Procedure

New Procedure

Systematic Verification of Alien Entitlements (SAVE) system was used in primary verification procedures when verifying Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) documents provided by non-citizens applying for financial and/or medical assistance and food stamp benefits.

Use VIS during primary verification procedures of BCIS documents provided by non-citizens applying for financial and/or medical assistance and food stamp benefits.

Client Services had to initiate SAVE primary verification procedures.

VIS may be directly accessed by staff for primary and secondary verification procedures.

Secondary verification procedures was a manual process used when:

·   there was no "A" number was present on the non-citizens’s documentation;

·   the result of primary verification procedures instructed the user to perform secondary verification;

·   the data from the primary verification did not match the non-citizen’s documentation;

·   the documentation presented appeared counterfeit or fraudulent; or

·   non-citizen sponsor information was required.

Use VIS for secondary verification procedures.

Note: If secondary verification procedures on VIS fail, continue using manual procedures involving BCIS Form G845, Verification Request.

 

POLICY

 

Use the Verification Information System (VIS) when conducting primary and secondary verification of documents provided by non-citizens applying for financial and/or medical assistance and food stamp benefits as follows:

 

·   Initiate primary verification of documents provided by non-citizens with the VIS Initial Verification process.

·   If the Initial Verification process fails to verify the documents, perform secondary verification by initiating the VIS Additional Verification process. Use the Additional Verification process only when:

-   the initial System Response in VIS indicates "Institute Additional Verification"; or

-   the information in the VIS Initial Results section does not match the information on the documents provided by the non-citizen.

 

Note: BCIS may request copies of any non-citizen documents that have been entered into VIS. If secondary verification procedures fail on VIS or if BCIS requests copies of the non-citizen documents, provide BCIS with copies of the needed documents and BCIS Form G845, Verification Request.

 

PROCEDURES

 

FSS and supervisors, referred to as users, access the VIS via the Internet at https://www.vis-dhs.com/WebOne:

 

1. At the VIS logon screen, users must type in their User ID and Password.

 

2. Once logged on, the user must select the appropriate department from the department drop down menu:

 

·   NH DHHS-DFA (Concord, NH); or

·   NH DHHS QC (Concord, NH).

 

3. After selecting a department, users select the appropriate group from the group drop down menu. State Office established a group for each District Office on the VIS. The group drop down menu contains each District Office. Choose the District Office out of which you work.

 

4. Once a group is selected, depending on the permission level of access, the user has access to the VIS to:

 

·   initiate primary verification, known as Initial Verification, of non-citizen status;

·   initiate secondary verification, known as Additional Verification, of non-citizens status when:

-   the initial System Response in the VIS indicates "Institute Additional Verification"; or

-   the information in the VIS Initial Results section does not match the information on the BCIS documents provided by the non-citizen;

·   review open and closed cases;

·   change his or her password and change personal information; and

·   generate and view reports.

 

State Office assigns each user a certain permission level of access that corresponds with his or her job responsibilities.

 

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

 

Revised Family Assistance Manual Topics

 

Section 305.21   Documentation of BCIS Status

Section 305.23   Verification of Qualified Alien Status

Section 305.27  Administrative Appeals

 

Revised Adult Assistance Manual Topics

 

Section 305.15   Documentation of BCIS Status

Section 305.17   Verification of Qualified Alien Status

Section 305.21  Administrative Appeals

 

Revised Food Stamp Manual Topics

 

Section 305.21   Documentation of BCIS Status

Section 305.23   Verification of Qualified Alien Status

Section 305.27  Administrative Appeals

 

IMPLEMENTATION

 

Policy and procedures released in this SR are retroactive effective to May 3, 2004.

 

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

 

No special client notification is planned or needed.

 

TRAINING

 

Individuals with Super User and Supervisor permission levels of access were provided with a web link to download the training materials necessary to implement District Office use of the VIS via an e-mail from Client Services (dated 04/28/04 Subject Line: Out with SAVE, in with VIS).

 

State Office provided copies of the VIS Training Manuals to District Office Supervisors who provided FSS with copies of the Manuals as needed.

 

DISPOSITION

 

This SR may be destroyed or deleted after its contents have been noted and the revised manual topics released by this SR have been posted to the On-Line Manuals.

 

DISTRIBUTION

 

This SR will be distributed according to the electronic distribution list for Division of Family Assistance policy releases. This SR, and revised On-Line Manuals, will be available for agency staff in the On-Line Manual Library, and for public access on the Internet at http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/DHHS/DFA/LIBRARY, effective January 1, 2004.

 

This SR, and printed pages with posting instructions, will be distributed under separate cover to all hard copy holders of the Family Assistance, Adult Assistance, and Food Stamp Manuals.

 

DFA/DMS:s