1. Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit Process
Technical College System of Georgia
Office of Adult Education
FY19
Hello, everyone. This presentation explains the Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit process that is required for all Office of Adult Education programs that receive state funds. This presentation includes updated rules and procedures that are effective as of July 1, 2018.

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
Our training topics for today include an overview of the VOEPB process, going over the affidavit, walking through each procedure and showing you examples of key documents along the way. We’ll also talk a little bit about the SAVE verification process. Finally, we’ll wrap it all up with some overall 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. § ), not a federal regulation
Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit is a process where all applicants for the adult education program must select their citizenship or immigration status and provide specific documentation in order to receive the public benefit of adult education.
This is not a federal regulation, but rather a Georgia law that was originally enacted in The law identifies adult education as a public benefit along with many others, such as business licenses, medical licenses, TANF, and food stamps.

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
The law says that state agencies that provide a public benefit must require all applicants for that benefit, ages 18 and over to:
Provide one secure and verifiable document and
Execute a signed an sworn affidavit testifying to their lawful presence within the United States and provide supporting documentation, if required.
To meet the requirements of the state statute, OAE has developed a comprehensive process that is detailed in this presentation.

5. Applicant Responsibilities
We’re going to start off by talking about which documents are required from the applicant.

6. Step 1 - Provide a Secure and Verifiable Document
Must be on the approved list from the Attorney General of Georgia
Cannot be expired
The first step is for the applicant to provide a secure and verifiable document. So, what is that?
The Attorney General of Georgia publishes a list of secure and verifiable documents annually. To be secure and verifiable, all submitted documents must be one of the types listed and cannot be expired at the time the affidavit is completed. Please review the complete list, so that you are aware of the kinds of documents that are considered secure and verifiable.

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
These are some examples of secure and verifiable documents that are on the Attorney General of Georgia’s list. The most commonly presented are probably a driver’s license or ID card issued by a state or territory. Also included on the list are United States Permanent Resident cards (commonly known as a green card), United States passports, and Department of Defense Military ID cards, all of which are shown here.

8. Other SV Documents Foreign Passport with visa
Foreign Passport with paper I-94
Employment Authorization Cards
Other secure and verifiable documents include a U.S.-issued Employment Authorization Card, or a Foreign passport with an I-94, I-94A, I-94W or other document showing lawful presence in the United States.

9. A Closer Look at the I-94 Departure Number Entry Date Visa Type
Admitted Until Date
Entry Location
Since I-94’s are pretty common, let’s look a little bit closer at them. An I-94 is issued most of the time before a person arrives in the U.S. If not, it is issued shortly thereafter. For older entries, it is commonly seen as part of the person’s passport and includes a departure number, entry date, visa type, an admitted until date, and an entry location. Even though the I-94 is now mostly electronic, you will still see the paper version quite frequently. Please note that the date may be in month/day/year format.

10. Electronic I-94 I-94 Retrieval Website https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/
Speaking of electronic In 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services changed the way it issues I-94 documents. They moved from a paper-based format to an electronic one. Please note that passports may still be stamped by customs, but for the purposes of our VOEPB process, students with a foreign passport who need to present it with an I-94, and do not have a paper version in their passport, should visit the retrieval website listed above and print out a hard copy of their I-94, and submit a copy with their passport.

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
Please note that these documents are not included on the approved SV list: a consulate card of any kind, an international driver’s license, a national ID card, a student or voter ID, a foreign passport without supporting documentation, a driver’s license from another country, unless it’s Canada, an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number card or letter, and a Social Security card.

12. Examples of Non-approved SV docs
Consulate Card
National ID
Expired
International Driver’s License
Student ID
Here are some examples of those non-approved documents, so you can see what they look like: a consulate card, an international driver’s license, a student ID card, a national ID card, or any document that is expired.

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
The second step in the process is for the student to complete an affidavit. The Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit Affidavit asks the applicant to give some basic information (name, age) and to declare his/her status as either a United States citizen, legal permanent resident of the United States, or a qualified alien or non-immigrant. If the applicant selects qualified alien or non-immigrant, his/her Alien number or other federal immigration number must be written on the affidavit and a copy of the document must be taken by the local program.
The type of secure and verifiable document should be listed and a front and back copy of this document taken. The city where the affidavit is completed is filled in. Then the form is signed in front of a notary public and is notarized.
The section at the bottom of the affidavit is used to track the document locally and at the state level. Please let your notaries know not to place their seal or stamp over this area.

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
As you have seen, ALL applicants must provide a secure and verifiable document to the local program. They All also must complete the affidavit and select a status.
If the student selects United States citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States, then their next step is to present the affidavit to a notary public and follow his/her instructions for having the affidavit notarized. Once these steps are complete, the student is eligible to enroll in the program and attend classes.

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
Applicants who select Qualified Alien/Non-immigrant have an additional step. They must also submit supporting documentation that shows that they are lawfully present in the United States.
Once the student has completed the four steps listed on the slide, he or she is eligible to enroll in the program and attend classes.
The local program must make a copy (front and back) of the supporting documentation.

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
The most common documents presented to show lawful presence are: a foreign passport with an I-94, I-94A or I-94W, a foreign passport with a U.S. Visa, an Employment Authorization Card, and a J-1 visa authorization with SEVIS ID. Keep in mind that there are many other documents issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or other federal agencies that prove that a person is lawfully present in the United States.

17. Supporting Documentation Examples
J-1 Visa form (DS-2019)
Foreign passport with I-94
Employment Authorization Card
US Visa – w/ Passport
Here is an illustration of the three most common supporting documents as stated on the last slide. Here you can see examples of a foreign passport with I-94, an Employment Authorization Card, and a J1 visa form. Also shown is a U.S.-issued visa. A visa is acceptable if it is submitted with the person’s foreign passport.
The nice thing about a foreign passport with 1-94, foreign passport with a U.S. Visa, and an Employment Authorization card is that they can be use both as the SV document and supporting documentation.

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!
There are a few oddities about supporting documentation and dates. Be aware that the 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. These days, Employment Authorization Cards have a 180-days grace period before they expire due to a backlog at USCIS. As you review documents, if you see expired dates, ask students about them. Don’t just assume they do not have additional documentation.

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.
He is an example of a K-1 (or fiancé/fiancée) visa. This visa requires the person to arrive in the United States before the expiration date. Once they arrive and marry, they complete the paperwork for lawful permanent resident. The person is still lawfully present while waiting for his/her pending documentation.

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
Some other examples of supporting documentation include a Department of State letter with the person’s picture and alien number, US Customs and Immigration Services form 797-A, which is a temporary replacement of official documents while someone is waiting for a replacement card, USCIS form I797-C with biometrics data collection, a printout from the 1-94 Retrieval website, and others. If you are unsure about a particular 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
This slide lists some of the most common documents that have been presented to OAE as proof of lawful presence that do not qualify as such: a letter from an attorney or other advocate, even if it states that someone is in process, a copy of a USCIS application, a copy of a marriage license, copy of a spouse’s or child’s documents, paperwork from when the person was a minor, social security cards, and military IDs, which can only be used for identification and commissary privileges, not lawful presence.

22. I-94 B1 (business visitor) I-94 B2 (pleasure visitor)
Restricted Visas - B1, B2
I-94 B1 (business visitor)
I-94 B2 (pleasure visitor)
B1/B2 Visa
OAE often receives questions about which visa types are acceptable. In short, most of them are acceptable. Only a few are not. These restrictions do not come from the state law; they are federal regulations that we have had in our policy and procedure manual for many years.
The first restricted visas we will talk about are issued to people who are visiting the United States. A B1 visa is for business visitors and B2 is for pleasure visitors. Most of these people will stay in the U.S. for a few months at most and return to their home country. On rare occasions, a B1/B2 visa holder may request asylum or refuge, if so, they should have additional paperwork stating this. If someone wants to enroll in adult education classes at your program, tell them that they are restricted from attending our classes, but that they are not restricted from taking courses that they pay for. Also ask them if their status has changed. If not, the student cannot enroll in the program.
Recently , we are seeing more and more B-2 visitors to the U.S. who have applied for Asylum, particularly those from Venezuela. If you are presented with a B2 visa, ask if they have any other documentation or if the have evidence that they have applied for Asylum, such as an I-797C with a biometrics appointment or a letter from USCIS.
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).

23. Other Restricted Visas
BBBCV (B1/B2 Border Crossing Visa)
Waiver Tourist visa stamp (WT)
A B1/B2 visa can also come in the form of a B1/B2 Border Crossing Visa or Border Crossing Card. This ID is issued to people who cross the border frequently to visit family, shop, conduct business, etc. They should be treated just like a regular B1/B2 visa.
B1/B2 visas can also appear as Waiver Tourist (WT) or Waiver Business (WB) visas. 38 countries participate in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. These include mostly European countries, Baltic states, Australia and New Zealand, and a few outliers like Chile, South Korea, and Brunei. These should be treated the same way as regular B1/B2 visas. They are restricted from attending adult education classes.
We are adding two new visas to the restricted list – C1 and D. Crewmember (D) visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons working on board commercial sea vessels or international airlines in the United States, providing services required for normal operation and intending to depart the United States on the same vessel or any other vessel within 29 days. If the crewmember plans to travel to the US to join the vessel, he/she works on, they will also have a C-1 transit visa. Since neither of these visas are used to immigrate into the U.S. and stay for a period of time, it would be unwise of us to accept them. If someone presents this visa and says that he/she is “living in Savannah now,” they are violating the terms of their visa.
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
The last restricted visa types are F1 and M1. F1 visas are for foreign students to attend K12 or postsecondary institutions. M1 visas are for foreign students to attend vocational schools or colleges. These students must pay their way and cannot access financial aid or other government support. They can lose their visa status if they access our federally-funded programs. If these students seek enrollment, they should referred back to the college listed on their visa, especially if they have any questions about their status.
Keep in mind, that while F1 and M1 students may not attend, their dependents can. Their status is designated as F2 or M2.
F1 (student must pay tuition to attend school or college)
M1 (student must pay tuition to attend a vocational school or college)

25. Local Program Responsibilities
We’re going to shift gears a bit here to move away from the affidavit process to reviewing the responsibilities of the local program from the beginning of the process through verification.

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
Local programs must print and distribute the affidavit to applicants ages 18 and over and require the completion of the form as a part of a student’s initial application to the program. Local programs must use the standard Office of Adult Education affidavit. Print the Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit Affidavit and have the list of secure and verifiable documents available for review. If a student is leaving the site, ensure he/she has a copy of the affidavit and a copy of the list of secure and verifiable documents.
All students ages 18 and over must have an affidavit as a part of their student record. There is a report in GALIS (AL290) to help you to identify any one without an affidavit. Students who turn 18 years old while enrolled must complete the affidavit within 30 days of their birthday.
The local program is encouraged to provide the services of a notary public or notaries public. Local programs should also collect a copy of the applicant’s secure and verifiable document, and a copy of the supporting documentation, if applicable.

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
The local program must collect and review the affidavits for completeness. They are responsible for making copies (front/back) of all required documents. The local program is also responsible for recording information from all affidavits into GALIS including the date and the selected category. Once entered, the affidavits should be maintained in the students’ permanent records and be made available for audit, as necessary.
Affidavits with the category of qualified alien or non-immigrant should be set aside from the rest because they have an additional step.

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)
A copy of each Qualified Alien/Non-immigrant affidavit, along with its secure and verifiable document, and the supporting documentation must be submitted to the Office of Adult Education within 20 business days of receipt for verification through the federal Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlement (SAVE) program. The documents may be submitted in hard copy format (mail). We’ve had difficulty in reading faxed documents, so please do not send faxes unless there is an emergency.

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
Once received, the Office of Adult Education will review the affidavit, the secure and verifiable document, and supporting documentation. The information will be entered into to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements or SAVE program interface. Once entered, OAE is notified if the applicant can be verified or not.

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
If the applicant’s documentation cannot be verified, the local program will be notified by OAE. The program should then contact the student to tell him/her that the documents were unable to be verified and ask if they have any addition documentation that they would like to submit. The student has 10 days to submit additional documents to the local program. If the student is unable to submit additional documentation, the program must reject services.

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
If the applicant cannot be verified as eligible for the public benefit even with the additional supporting documentation, the local program will be notified. The program must reject services.
Any applicant disputing the denial of the public benefit may appeal in writing to the Assistant Commissioner of Adult Education in the Office of Adult Education within 10 business days of notification and provide 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
Keep in mind that there are very detailed directions to the Verification of Eligibility for Public Benefit Affidavit process posted with this presentation. Please read them carefully. Applicants are required to complete the affidavit only one time to be eligible to receives adult education services. Qualified Alien/Non-immigrant applicants who present their supporting documentation are eligible to receive the benefit of adult education while their paperwork is in process. Verification of Eligibility Affidavits completed in prior fiscal years are still valid. Just pull the document(s) forward into the current year student permanent record.

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
Applicants who can provide satisfactory documentary evidence from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that designates that they are refugees who have been in the United States for less than 90 days may be given by the local program a Reasonable Opportunity Period (ROP) to acquire a secure and verifiable document to satisfy the requirement of O.C.G.A. § The ROP begins on the first day of arrival into the United States and ends after 90 calendar days. Applicants must complete all other requirements of the Verification process. If a student does not provide a secure and verifiable document within the ROP, the student must be dismissed from the program until he/she can provide it.
If a current student, who turns 18 years old while enrolled in the program, can provide satisfactory documentary evidence that he/she was under the supervision of the Office of Refugee Resettlement as a MINOR, the student should be given a Reasonable Opportunity Period (ROP) of 90 days from his/her birthday to acquire adult USCIS documentation. If a student does not provide a secure and verifiable document within the ROP, the student must be dismissed from the program until he/she can provide it.
Applicants in some correctional programs may not have access to typical identification documents. The first step for the adult education program, to ensure all applicants are lawfully present, is to have an agreement with the institution that only inmates who are lawfully present will be referred to the adult education program. Next, the institution must provide the adult education program with evidence of the person’s identity that satisfies the criteria for a secure and verifiable document. In some cases that may be a copy of a state or county-issued prison ID card or a correctional wrist ID. It may also be a print out from their official database with a photograph and other identifying information about the applicant. If you have questions about implementing VOEPB in correctional or institutional settings, please contact OAE.

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.
Make sure you have modified the top of the affidavit form to include the name of the local program. It helps us to keep them organized by program. The most current version of the affidavit is dated July 1, 2018.
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. We frequently use information from both documents to complete the SAVE application.

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.”
Don’t be afraid to send too much. The more options we have to choose from when running documentation, the better. However, letters from attorneys, marriage licenses, social security cards, or paperwork from when the student was a minor are disregarded because they do not provide information that can be entered into SAVE.
Check all copies for legibility and completeness before submission. We have received several documents that had numbers chopped off or did not include the front and back. Place documents away from the edge of the copier to avoid incomplete copies. Also, increase the size of the documents, if you are able.
Review each packet before submission and initial and date in the space that says “Local Program POC Initials.” Be mindful of submitting the same forms twice.

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.
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. So, submitting once per month is all that is needed to ensure that your program’s forms will be processed, as long as they are received by the last day of the month.
We cannot accept visas by themselves. SAVE is not set up to run visas alone, except in a few cases. Please make sure a visa is accompanied by a passport.
I-94’s are the easiest documents for us to run. However, most I-94’s are now electronic. Students can print out a paper copy of their I-94, if they do not have one in their passport. The link to retrieve their I-94 information is

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
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. We have tried several ways to get around the SEVIS ID in SAVE, but have finally accepted that it is impossible. Please send a copy of the SEVIS ID with all J1, J2, and F2 visas. (See the pictures below for how to find the SEVIS ID.)
The most common reasons for a document to go unverified include:
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
The Office of Adult Education recognizes that there will be students who are unable to provide a secure and verifiable document and/or supporting documentation. Please work with your local community organizations to provide a referral process so those students are able to access services from other providers that do not have the VOEPB requirement.

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.
Thank you for your time and your attention. Each program has a designated VOEPB Point of Contact (POC). Please direct questions about the process at your local organization to your local POC. If they cannot resolve the issue, they will seek further clarification from OAE. Additional questions can be submitted to your assigned GPS Coordinator or the Instructional Services Technical Coordinator.