Posted Date: June 29, 2015

Subject: Revised Document Verification Request G-845 Form

The Department of Homeland Security-United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS-USCIS) has received Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of a revised Document Verification Request G-845 Form. We have provided the revised form as an attachment to this Electronic Announcement.  The G-845 form is used by Title IV postsecondary institutions to request verification from DHS-USCIS of an applicant's eligible non-citizenship status. The revised form has an expiration date of 05/31/2018 and replaces the prior version that has an expiration date of 01/31/2015.

Institutions are encouraged to begin using the revised G-845 form immediately. The previous version of the G-845 form may no longer be submitted to DHS-USCIS after August 14, 2015.

Changes to the G-845 Form

There are several changes to the revised version of the G-845 form as compared to the earlier version. In addition to the information provided below, instructions on how to complete the revised G-845 form and how to interpret DHS-USCIS responses to an institution's G-845 form submission is included in updated Volume 1, Chapter 2 of the 2015-2016 Federal Student Aid Handbook, which we posted to the Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Web site on June 29, 2015. Below, we highlight some of the changes made to the G-845 form.

The revised G-845 form consists of three pages. Institutions complete Part 1 while Parts 2 and 3 are completed by DHS-USCIS.

Part 1, Information from the Registered Agency

• The heading for Part 1 has been changed from "Section A. To Be Completed by Registered Agency Only" to "Part 1. Information From the Registered Agency". Each postsecondary educational institution submitting a G-845 form to verify a student's eligible noncitizen status is considered a "Registered Agency". Enter the institution's name just as with the prior version of the G-845 form.

• The wording and position of some items in Part 1 have changed but their meanings remain the same as in Section A of the earlier version of the G-845 form.

• Field #1 under Applicant Information, "Immigration Document Number" has spaces to enter three different numbers: the student's Alien Registration Number (A-Number), I-94 Number (Arrival-Departure Record), or other immigration number (if an A-Number or I-94 Number are not available). Only one of the three numbers should be entered, with the A-Number having the highest priority.

• Enter the student's 15-digit DHS Verification Number in field #3, "Case Verification Number". This number is found in the Match Flag section of the student's Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR).

• Fields #6, "Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) Number" and #10, "Registered Agency Case Number" should be left blank.

• For field #9, check 9.c "Education Grant/Loan/Work Study".

• Field #16 titled "Registered Agency Comments" allows the institution to provide additional information about the immigration verification request. Use of this field is optional and generally not needed.

Part 2, USCIS Responses

Many of the DHS-USCIS Responses in Part 2 have changed position but their meanings have not. Institutions should continue to use the information in Volume 1, Chapter 2 of the Federal Student Aid Handbook to interpret the DHS-USCIS response.

Below we provide detail on several new boxes that are included in Part 2 of the revised G-845 form.

• The heading for Part 2 has been changed from "Section B. To Be Completed by USCIS" to "Part 2. USCIS Responses". Only DHS-USCIS status verifiers can complete Part 2. A student's eligibility for federal student aid is based on the DHS-USCIS response.

• Field #13 on the revised G-845 form is titled "Mexican Born Member of the Texas or Oklahoma Band of Kickapoo Indians" with appropriate issue dates and classes of admission. If this box is checked, the institution must contact U.S. Department of Education staff by e-mailing either Aaron Washington at [email protected] or Rene Tiongquico at [email protected].

• Field #14 on the revised G-845 form is titled "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)." A student in this status is ineligible for federal student aid but may be eligible for State, institutional, or private aid. We provide information about DACA students in our "Financial Aid for Undocumented Students" factsheet which is available on StudentAid.gov.

• Field #16 on the revised G-845 form is titled "Deferred Action Status." Deferred action is an exercise of prosecutorial discretion by DHS not to pursue the removal of an individual from the United States. Unless an eligible status is also checked or the student can provide other documentation that can be confirmed by DHS-USCIS, the student is ineligible for federal student aid.

• Field #17 on the revised G-845 form is titled "VAWA Self-Petitioner." The Department has provided guidance on VAWA students in GEN-10-07 which was published on June 4, 2010. If 17.a "Pending prima facie VAWA self-petition" is checked, the financial aid administrator must contact U.S. Department of Education staff by e-mailing either Aaron Washington at [email protected] or Rene Tiongquico at [email protected]. If 17.b. "Approved VAWA self-petition" is checked, the student is eligible for federal student aid.

Part 3, USCIS Comments

• The heading for Part 3 has been changed from "Section C. USCIS Comments" to "Part 3. USCIS Comments". Only DHS-USCIS status verifiers can complete Part 3.  Institutions should follow any instructions provided in Part 3.

• Field #5 in Part 3 is titled "Unable to verify status based on the document provided. If this is the applicant's most recently issued immigration document, refer the applicant to the document issuing authority." If this box is checked, DHS-USCIS was unable to verify the student's status based on the documentation provided. The student must contact the appropriate agency (i.e., U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or Customs and Border Protection) to correct their records. Contact information for DHS agencies can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/save/benefit-applicants/questions-about-your-records.

Contact Information

For questions about specific students' eligibility, contact Rene Tiongquico at 202/377-4270 or by e-mail to [email protected].

For general questions about the G-845 form, contact Federal Student Aid's Research and Customer Care Center (RCCC) at 800/433-7327. Questions can also be e-mailed to the RCCC at [email protected]. The RCCC staff is available 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. (ET), Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays.

Attachments/Enclosures:

Revised G-845 Form, Document Verification Request in PDF Format, 884KB, 3 Pages

Publication Date: 6/29/2015