If you are an F or M student who applied for a driver’s license, Social Security number or other benefit with a federal, state or local government agency, that agency may need to verify your nonimmigrant status to determine if you are eligible for the benefits it issues.

Many agencies use the U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program to verify your status.

In most cases, SAVE electronically confirms your status within seconds. However, sometimes the SAVE Program cannot verify your status immediately. In these situations, SAVE may need three to 20 federal business days to complete the status verification query.

If this happens, SAVE CaseCheck can help you. This fast and free service saves you time and trips to the benefit-granting agency by allowing you to follow the progress of your SAVE verification case online. You can use SAVE CaseCheck anytime and anywhere, from your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

To check your SAVE case status, visit the USCIS SAVE CaseCheck website and enter your date of birth, along with the identification number from a variety of documents, such as a Form I‑94, “Arrival/Departure Record,” or a Form I-766, “Employment Authorization Document.” Alternatively, you can ask the benefit-granting agency to share the 15-digit SAVE case verification number and enter that information.

SAVE CaseCheck will notify you when the SAVE Program has completed the verification case. Instead of making repeated trips to the agency to learn if your verification is complete, you will know when it is time to return by checking online first. Download the SAVE CaseCheck brochure for more information and visit the Study in the States resource page to learn more tips for successfully completing the process.

Remember, it is the responsibility of the specific public benefit-issuing agency to determine if you are eligible for the benefit or license. The SAVE Program does not determine your eligibility. It only verifies your nonimmigrant status. If the agency that issues the benefit used SAVE, but could not confirm your current immigration status after it followed all SAVE verification steps, this does not necessarily mean that you are ineligible for the benefit. However, if this happens, the agency should allow you an opportunity to correct or update your immigration record.

Do you have questions about the benefits you’re eligible for while you Study in the States? Talk to your designated school official and review the Study Guide to States.