Q : Can I choose not to participate in the SAVE program? Do I have to provide my personal information?

Participation in SAVE is mandatory for Federal public benefit programs. State and local agencies may also be mandated by state law to verify immigration status.  Generally, only those individuals who are requesting a benefit or a license will be screened.  An individual’s information is used solely to query the VIS database to ascertain whether or not an individual is in a lawful immigration status.   One exception is the screening of family members listed by an individual for purposes of their background check.  Named family members will also be run through the VIS database to ensure that they, too, are in a lawful immigration status.

Individuals subject to a SAVE query, as well as the family members of those individuals seeking credentials, are given notice regarding the collection and use of their information in SAVE through the relevant USCIS Privacy Impact Assessment and VIS SORN, available through the links provided in the "Related Links" section of the main SAVE Q&A page. 

Failure to provide consent may result in a determination of ineligibility for a particular benefit.