83 FR 40546 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Document Verification Request and Supplement

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 158 (August 15, 2018)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed revision of a currently approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (i.e., the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual information collection instruments.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40546-40547]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17535]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

[OMB Control Number 1615-0101]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently 
Approved Collection: Document Verification Request and Supplement

AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of 
Homeland Security.

ACTION: 60-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal 
agencies to comment upon this proposed revision of a currently approved 
collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in 
the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the 
information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated 
burden (i.e., the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents 
to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual 
information collection instruments.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until 
October 15, 2018.

ADDRESSES: All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number 
1615-0101 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID 
USCIS-2008-0008. To avoid duplicate submissions, please use only one of 
the following methods to submit comments:
    (1) Online. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
website at http://www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS-
2008-0008;
    (2) Mail. Submit written comments to DHS, USCIS, Office of Policy 
and Strategy, Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, 20 Massachusetts 
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20529-2140.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, 
Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, 20 
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20529-2140, telephone number 
202-272-8377 (This is not a toll-free number. Comments are not accepted 
via telephone message). Please note contact information provided here 
is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not for individual 
case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information about the status 
of their individual cases can check Case Status Online, available at 
the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov, or call the USCIS National 
Customer Service Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments

    You may access the information collection instrument with 
instructions, or additional information by visiting the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal site at: http://www.regulations.gov and enter USCIS-
2008-0008 in the search box. Regardless of the method used for 
submitting comments or material, all submissions will be posted, 
without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal information you 
provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You 
may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that 
you provide in any voluntary submission you make to DHS. DHS may 
withhold information provided in comments from public viewing that it 
determines may impact the privacy of an individual or is offensive. For 
additional information, please read the Privacy Act notice that is 
available via the link in the footer of http://www.regulations.gov.
    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies should address one or more of the following four points:
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

    (1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of a Currently 
Approved Collection.
    (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Document Verification Request and 
Supplement.
    (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the 
DHS sponsoring the collection: Form G-845; USCIS.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract: Primary: State, local or Tribal Government.
    In the verification process, a participating agency validates an 
applicant's immigration status by inputting identifying information 
into the Verification Information System (VIS), which executes 
immigration status queries against a range of data sources. If VIS 
returns an immigration status and the benefit-issuing agency does not 
find a material discrepancy with the response and the documents 
provided by the applicant, the verification process is complete. Then, 
the agency may use that immigration status information to determine 
whether to issue the benefit.

[[Page 40547]]

    If VIS does not locate a record pertaining to the applicant during 
an electronic initial verification, a second step additional 
verification must be requested by the agency, so that a Status Verifier 
can manually check the records. If the Status Verifier cannot determine 
status during the second step additional verification, they will 
request the agency to submit a copy of the applicant's immigration 
document. The immigration document can be submitted using scan and 
upload or by attaching it to a Form G-845 and mailing it to the Status 
Verifier.
    Applicants may check on the processing of additional verification 
through the SAVE Case Check web portal, found at http://www.uscis.gov/save/save-case-check. SAVE Case Check permits applicants to use the 
SAVE verification numbers associated with their benefit applications or 
the immigration identification numbers and dates of birth provided to 
those benefit granting agencies to access this information.
    In limited cases, agencies may query USCIS by filing Form G-845 by 
mail. Although the Form G-845 does not require it, if needed, certain 
agencies may also file the Form G-845 Supplement with the Form G-845, 
along with copies of immigration documents to receive additional 
information necessary to make their benefit determinations. These forms 
were developed to facilitate communication between all benefit-granting 
agencies and USCIS to ensure that basic information required to assess 
status verification requests is provided.
    (5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount 
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated 
total number of respondents for the information collection G-845 
Verification Request is 162,106 and the estimated hour burden per 
response is 0.083 hours; for the information collection VIS Query the 
estimated total number of respondents is 23,293,981 and the estimated 
hour burden per response is 0.17 hours; for the information collection 
G-845, Verification Request Supplement, the estimated total number of 
respondents is 7,122 and the estimated hour burden per response is 
0.083 hours.
    (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated 
with this collection is 3,974,023 hours.
    (7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated 
with the collection: The estimated total annual cost burden associated 
with this collection of information is $141,236,767.

    Dated: August 9, 2018.
Samantha L. Deshommes,
Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland 
Security.
[FR Doc. 2018-17535 Filed 8-14-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9111-97-P