SAVE Verifications for Non-US Citizen Students
South Carolina state law requires citizenship verification for all international students, including legal
permanent residents, H-4 or H-1B visa holders, DACA, or any other type of student
who is neither a US citizen nor an F-1 or J-1 student. This information is not applicable
to any F-1 or J-1 visa holder whose certificate of eligibility (I-20 or DS-2019) is
issued by the University of South Carolina.
How to verify your citizenship as a non-US citizen who also does not have a student
visa:
- Submit your visa paperwork to ISSS through the online submission page. Your visa paperwork might be your permanent resident card, EAD card, or I-797 Notice
of Action Approval notice. If you're not sure, send what you have and we will let
you know if it's acceptable.
- ISSS will submit your documentation to the federal SAVE Electronic Immigration Status Verification system.
- Upon approval from SAVE, your citizenship will be verified and your citizenship (CV)
registration hold lifted. This process can take anywhere from 24 hours to 5 business days.
- On the expiration date of the document submitted, your registration hold will be replaced.
You will need to submit updated paperwork before the expiration of your current paperwork
to avoid the registration hold being replaced.
Other Information
- Resident Tuition Questions: ISSS does not determine who qualifies for resident tuition rates. For information
about whether you qualify for in-state tuition rates, please consult with the Office of Legal Residency, part of the university's Registrar Office.
- Changing Your Status to F-1: If you will need to change your status to F-1 during your time at USC due to "aging
out," please consult our Change of Status section. ISSS recommends that you apply for your change of status at least 1 year
before your 21st birthday to allow for adequate processing time.