Privacy Act: Verification Information System Records Notice, 17569-17573 [E7-6611]

Agencies

• Office of the Secretary
• DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 67 (Monday, April 9, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17569-17573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-6611]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Office of the Secretary

[Docket Number DHS-2007-0010]


Privacy Act: Verification Information System Records Notice

AGENCY: Privacy Office, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice to alter a system of records; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its ongoing effort to review and update the legacy 
system of records notices, the Department of Homeland Security is 
altering previously established Privacy Act systems of records 
published by the former Immigration and Naturalization Service for the 
Verification and Information System (VIS) Justice/INS-035 published 
October 17, 2002 (67 FR 64134) and Alien Status Verification Index 
(ASVI) Justice/INS-009 published September 7, 2001 (66 FR 46815). The 
Department of Homeland Security will consolidate information from 
different systems of records notices and is adding new sources of data 
to the VIS to update the routine uses that were previously published 
for this system of records.

DATES: The established systems of records will be effective on May 9, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by Docket Number DHS-
2007-0010 by one of the following methods:
     Federal e-Rulemaking Portal:  https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 1-866-466-5370.
     Mail: Hugo Teufel III, Chief Privacy Officer, Department 
of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For system related questions please 
contact: Gerri Ratliff, Verification Division, U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 111 
Massachusetts Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20529. For privacy issues 
please contact: Hugo Teufel III, Chief Privacy Officer, Privacy Office, 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. USCIS Verification Information System

    In various statutes, Congress mandated that USCIS establish a 
system that can be used to verify citizenship and immigration status of 
individuals seeking government benefits and establish a system for use 
by employers to determine whether a newly hired employee is authorized 
to work in the United States. USCIS implemented this mandate through 
the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program for 
government benefits and the Basic Pilot Program for determining whether 
a newly hired employee is authorized to work in the United States. The 
Verification Information System (VIS) is the technical infrastructure 
that enables USCIS to operate SAVE and Basic Pilot. VIS is a nationally 
accessible database of selected immigration status information 
containing in excess of 100 million records. Government agencies use 
SAVE information to help determine whether a non-citizen is eligible 
for any public benefit, license or credential based on citizenship and 
immigration status. Private employers and government users use Basic 
Pilot information to determine whether a newly hired employee is 
authorized to work in the United States.
    VIS is currently comprised of citizenship, immigration and 
employment status information from several DHS systems of records, 
including records contained in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
(CBP) Treasury Enforcement Communication Systems (TECS) (66 FR 52984), 
the Image Storage and Retrieval System (ISRS) (66 FR 6672), the USCIS 
Central Index System (CIS) (72 FR 1755), and the USCIS Computer Linked 
Application Information Management System (CLAIMS 3) (62 FR 11919).
    This System of Records Notice is replacing the following systems of 
records previously published by Department of Justice's Immigration and 
Naturalization Service (DOJ/INS): the DOJ/INS 009 Alien Status 
Verification Index system (ASVI) (66 FR 46815) and the DOJ/INS 035 
Verification Information System (VIS) (67 FR 64134).

A. SAVE Program

    The SAVE Program, which is supported by VIS, provides government 
agencies with citizenship and immigration status information for use in 
determining an individual's eligibility for government benefits. 
Government agencies input biographic information into VIS for 
government benefit eligibility determinations and if VIS has a record 
pertaining to the individual, the government agency will receive 
limited biographic information on the citizenship and immigration 
status of the individual applying for a benefit. If VIS does not have a 
record pertaining to the individual, VIS automatically notifies a USCIS 
Immigration Status Verifier (ISV). The ISV then conducts a manual 
search of other DHS databases to determine whether there is any other 
information pertaining to that individual that would provide 
citizenship and immigration status. If the ISV finds additional 
relevant information, citizenship and immigration status data is 
provided to the requesting government agency user through VIS. The ISV 
will also update the appropriate record in USCIS' CIS database. The 
REAL ID Act requires that beginning May 2008, with a possible extension 
for States until December 2009, all states routinely utilize the USCIS 
SAVE program to verify the legal immigration status of applicants for 
driver's licenses and identification cards.

B. Basic Pilot

    VIS also supports the Basic Pilot Program, a free and voluntary 
program allowing participating employers to

[[Page 17570]]

verify the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. The program 
is a collaboration between the Social Security Administration (SSA) and 
USCIS.
    After an individual is hired by the employer and completes the Form 
I-9, employers input information from Sections 1 and 2 of the Form I-9 
into the Basic Pilot portion of VIS. This query is first sent from VIS 
to SSA to verify social security information. If SSA cannot verify the 
employee's social security information, SSA will send a response to VIS 
which in turn will notify the employer of SSA's inability to verify the 
information provided by employee. The employer is then required to 
provide information to the employee about how the employee may contact 
SSA to resolve any issues. If SSA is able to verify the employee 
information and verify that the individual is a U.S. Citizen, 
(``USC''), VIS provides a confirmation to the employer. No further 
action is taken by VIS. If SSA is able to verify the employee 
information and the individual is a non-USC, the VIS system continues 
the process in order to verify employment authorization. Through VIS, 
USCIS provides the employer with a case verification number and the 
disposition of whether an employee is authorized to work. If VIS does 
not have a record pertaining to the individual, VIS automatically 
notifies an ISV. The ISV then conducts a manual search of other DHS 
databases to determine whether there is any other information 
pertaining to that individual that would provide employment eligibility 
status. If the ISV cannot determine the person's work eligibility, VIS 
notifies the employer that the employee must contact USCIS. If it is 
determined that an employee is not authorized to work after the 
employee is referred to SSA or USCIS, the employer may terminate the 
individual's employment.
    Performing a verification query through the Basic Pilot system is 
only legally permissible after an offer of employment has been extended 
to an employee. The earliest the employer may initiate a query is after 
an individual accepts an offer of employment and after the employee and 
employer complete the Form I-9. The employer must initiate the query no 
later than the end of three business days after the new hire's actual 
start date. Information from the Basic Pilot cannot be used to pre-
screen individuals, re-screen individuals after being employed for 
longer than three days, or discriminate against individuals legally 
authorized to work in the United States.

C. Updates to VIS

    VIS previously consolidated information from different DHS Systems 
of Records, with this update VIS will now add additional data elements 
from different DHS Systems of Records in order to enhance data 
completeness within VIS. USCIS is currently enhancing the employment 
verification function of VIS to allow an employer to query the system 
by inputting the new hire's USCIS receipt number, which is located on 
the secure Form I-551 (Permanent Resident Card) or the secure Form I-
766 (Employment Authorization Document). The receipt number is a unique 
number associated with the issuance of the card. In addition, USCIS is 
piloting a new functionality that allows employers using Basic Pilot to 
compare the photo contained on secure issued USCIS cards against the 
photo on file in ISRS and/or the USCIS Biometric Storage System (BSS) 
(when deployed). These enhancements will significantly improve the 
speed at which USCIS will be able to verify the employment eligibility 
of many non-citizen new hires and reduce the likelihood of identity 
fraud through forged documents.
    Once deployed, additional data elements from the BSS and ICE's 
Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) will be added 
to the VIS system. In order to support programmatic goals, the system 
will also have improved audit and reporting capability so that USCIS 
can better identify misuse of the system and programs supported by the 
system.

II. The Privacy Act

    The Privacy Act embodies fair information principles in a statutory 
framework governing the means by which the United Stated Government 
collects, maintains, uses and disseminates personally identifiable 
information. The Privacy Act applies to information that is maintained 
in a ``system of records.'' A ``system of records'' is a group of any 
records under the control of an agency from which information is 
retrieved by the name of an individual or by some identifying number, 
symbol, or other particular assigned to an individual.
    The Privacy Act requires each agency to publish in the Federal 
Register a description denoting the type and character of each system 
of records that the agency maintains, and the routine uses that are 
contained in each system to make agency recordkeeping practices 
transparent, to notify individuals reading the uses to which personally 
identifiable information is put, and to assist the individual to more 
easily find such files within the agency.
    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552a(r), a report on this system has 
been sent to Congress and to the Office of Management and Budget.

SYSTEM OF RECORDS:
    DHS/USCIS-004.

SYSTEM NAME:
    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Verification Information 
System (VIS).

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    The Verification Information System (VIS) database is housed in a 
contractor-owned facility in Meriden, CT. The system is accessible via 
the Internet, Web services, Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) batch, 
and through a computer via analog telephone line, and is publicly 
accessible to participants of the Systematic Alien for Verification 
Entitlements (SAVE) program and the Basic Pilot Employer Verification 
program, including authorized USCIS personnel, other authorized 
government users, participating employers, and other authorized users.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Individuals covered by provisions of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act of the United States including but not limited to 
individuals who have been lawfully admitted to the United States, 
individuals who have been granted citizenship and individuals who have 
applied for other immigration benefits pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1103 et 
seq.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    A. Data originating from the USCIS Central Index System (CIS), 
including the following information about the Individual who comes 
before USCIS: Alien Registration Number (A-Number), Name (last, first, 
middle), Date of birth, Date entered United States (entry date), 
Country of birth, Class of Admission code, File Control Office code, 
Social Security Number, Admission Number (I-94 Number), Provision of 
Law code cited for employment authorization, office code where the 
authorization was granted, Date employment authorization decision 
issued, Date employment authorization may begin (start date), Date 
employment authorization expires (expiration date), Date employment 
authorization denied (denial date).
    B. Data originating from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS), including the 
following information about the individual: A-Number, Name (last, 
first, middle), Date

[[Page 17571]]

alien's status was changed (status change date), Date of birth, Class 
of Admission Code, Date admitted until, Country of citizenship, Port of 
entry, Date entered United States (entry date), Departure date, I-94 
Number, Visa Number.
    C. Data originating from the USCIS Image Storage and Retrieval 
System and/or the USCIS Biometric Storage System (when deployed), 
including: Receipt Number, Name (last, first, middle), Date of Birth, 
Country of Birth, Alien number, Form number, for example Form I-551 
(Lawful Permanent Resident card) or Form I-766 (Employment 
Authorization Document), Expiration Date, and Photo.
    D. Data originating from the USCIS Computer Linked Application 
Information Management System (CLAIMS 3), including: Receipt number, 
Name (last, first, middle), Date of Birth, Country of Birth, Class of 
Admission Code, A-number, I-94 number, Date entered United States 
(entry date), and Valid To Date.
    E. Data originating from the U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement (ICE) Student and Exchange Visitor Information System 
(SEVIS), including: SEVIS Identification Number (SEVIS ID), Name (last, 
first, middle), Date of Birth, Country of Birth, Class of Admission 
Code, I-94 number, Date entered United States (entry date), and Valid 
To Date.
    F. Data originating from Social Security Administration (SSA), 
including: Confirmation of employment eligibility based on SSA records, 
Tentative non-confirmation of employment eligibility and the underlying 
justification for this decision, and Final non-confirmation of 
employment eligibility.
    G. Information collected from the benefit applicant by the benefit-
issuing agency to facilitate immigration status verification that may 
include the following about the benefit applicant: Receipt Number, A-
Number, I-94 Number, Name (last, first, middle), Date of birth, User 
Case Number, DHS document type, DHS document expiration date, SEVIS ID 
andVisa Number.
    H. Information collected from the benefit-issuing agency about 
users accessing the system to facilitate immigration status 
verification that may include the following about the Agency: Agency 
name, Address, Point of Contact, Contact telephone number, Fax number, 
E-mail address, Type of benefit(s) the agency issues (i.e. Unemployment 
Insurance, Educational Assistance, Driver Licensing, Social Security 
Enumeration, etc.).
    I. Information collected from the benefit-issuing agency about the 
Individual Agency User including: Name (last, first, middle), Phone 
Number, Fax Number, E-mail address, User ID for users within the 
Agency.
    J. System-generated response, as a result of the SAVE verification 
process including: Case Verification Number, Entire record in VIS 
database as outlined above, including all information from CIS, SEVIS, 
TECS, and CLAIMS 3 and with the exception of the biometric information 
(photo) from ISRS and/or BSS (once deployed), and Immigration status 
(e.g. Lawful Permanent Resident).
    K. Information collected from the employee by the Employer User to 
facilitate employment eligibility verification may include the 
following about the Individual employee: Receipt Number, Visa Number, 
A-Number, I-94 Number, Name (last, first, middle initial, maiden), 
Social Security Number, Date of birth, Date of hire, Claimed 
citizenship status, Acceptable Form I-9 document type, and Acceptable 
Form I-9 Document expiration date.
    L. Information Collected About the Employer, including: Company 
name, Physical Address, Employer Identification Number, North American 
Industry Classification System code, Number of employees, Number of 
sites, Parent company or Corporate company, Name of Contact, Phone 
Number, Fax Number, and E-Mail Address.
    M. Information Collected about the Employer User (e.g., Identifying 
users of the system at the Employers), including: Name, Phone Number, 
Fax Number, E-mail address, and User ID.
    N. System-generated response information, resulting from the 
employment eligibility verification process, including: Case 
Verification Number; VIS generated response: Employment authorized, 
Tentative non-confirmation, Case in continuance, Final non-
confirmation, Employment unauthorized, or DHS No Show; Disposition data 
from the employer includes Resolved Unauthorized/Terminated, Self 
Terminated, Invalid Query, Employee not terminated, Resolved 
Authorized, and Request additional verification, which includes why 
additional verification is requested by the employer user.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS:
    8 U.S.C. 1255a, 8 U.S.C. 1324a, 8 U.S.C. 1360 and 42 U.S.C. 1320b-
7.

PURPOSE(S):
    This system of records is used to provide immigration status 
information to Federal, State, and local government agencies for 
immigrants, non-immigrants, and naturalized U.S. citizens applying for 
Federal, State, and local public benefits. It is also used to provide 
employment authorization information to employers participating in the 
Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program. This System of 
Records Notice is replacing both the previously published ASVI SORN and 
VIS SORN.
    VIS is the technical infrastructure that enables USCIS to operate 
SAVE and Basic Pilot. In instances when an electronic verification 
cannot be confirmed by the VIS for either the SAVE or the Basic Pilot 
program, an electronic transmission of the verification request is sent 
through VIS to USCIS's ISVs for secondary processing. For Federal, 
State, and local government agency users of the SAVE program, there are 
a variety of instances in which either a secondary or third-step query 
may need to be completed manually through submission of the form G-845 
Immigration Status/Document Verification Request. These instances occur 
due to technical limitations of the interfaces by which the agency 
users access the SAVE program. In these instances, the VIS system is 
not accessed at all, and secondary and third-step verifications are 
conducted through manual searches of DHS systems by ISVs. For Basic 
Pilot users, in instances when the verification cannot be confirmed by 
VIS, an electronic transmission is sent by VIS to USCIS for processing 
by the Los Angeles Status Verification Unit.
    Currently, no other DHS component has access to VIS data except for 
those that have signed MOUs permitting them to use the SAVE and/or 
Basic Pilot programs. Examples of such use by DHS components include 
TSA, which is utilizing the system to ascertain the immigration status 
of applicants applying for hazardous materials driver's licenses.
    The VIS system includes audit and reporting functionality, and will 
be used for monitoring and compliance with system and program usage 
requirements set forth by USCIS. Audit or use reporting data in the 
system may be used to refer potential occurrences of fraud and/or 
egregious violations of SAVE or the Basic Pilot program to ICE.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    In addition to those disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 
552a(b) of the Privacy Act, all or a portion of the records or 
information

[[Page 17572]]

contained in this system may be disclosed outside DHS as a routine use 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(3) as follows:
    A. To a Federal, State, tribal, or local government agency, or to a 
contractor acting on its behalf, to the extent that such disclosure is 
necessary to enable these agencies to make decisions concerning: (1) 
Determination of eligibility for a Federal, State, or local public 
benefit; (2) issuance of a license or grant; or (3) government-issued 
credential.
    B. To employers participating in the Basic Pilot Employment 
Verification Program in order to verify the employment eligibility of 
all newly hired employees in the United States.
    C. To other Federal, State, tribal, and local government agencies 
seeking to verify or determine the citizenship or immigration status of 
any individual within the jurisdiction of the DHS as authorized or 
required by law.
    D. To contractors, grantees, experts, consultants, and others 
performing or working on a contract, service, grant, cooperative 
agreement, or other assignment for the federal government, when 
necessary to accomplish a DHS mission function related to this system 
of records, in compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.
    E. To a Congressional office, from the record of an individual in 
response to an inquiry from that Congressional office made at the 
request of the individual to whom the record pertains.
    F. To the National Archives and Records Administration or other 
Federal government agencies pursuant to records management inspections 
being conducted under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
    G. To a former employee of the Department for purposes of: (1) 
Responding to an official inquiry by a Federal, State, or local 
government entity or professional licensing authority, in accordance 
with applicable Department regulations; or (2) facilitating 
communications with a former employee that may be necessary for 
personnel-related or other official purposes where the Department 
requires information and/or consultation assistance from the former 
employee regarding a matter within that person's former area of 
responsibility.
    H. To the Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division, for 
the purpose of responding to matters within the DOJ's jurisdiction to 
include allegations of fraud and/or nationality discrimination.
    I. To appropriate agencies, entities, and persons when: (1) It is 
suspected or confirmed that the security or confidentiality of 
information in the system of records has been compromised; (2) it is 
determined that as a result of the suspected or confirmed compromise 
there is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, identity 
theft or fraud, or harm to the security or integrity of this system or 
other systems or programs (whether maintained by DHS or another agency 
or entity) that rely upon the compromised information; and (3) the 
disclosure is made to such agencies, entities, and persons when 
reasonably necessary to assist in connection with efforts to respond to 
the suspected or confirmed compromise and prevent, minimize, or remedy 
such harm.
    J. To the United States Department of Justice (including United 
States Attorney offices) or other federal agency conducting litigation 
or in proceedings before any court, adjudicative or administrative 
body, or to the court or administrative body, when it is necessary to 
the litigation and one of the following is a party to the litigation or 
has an interest in such litigation: (1) DHS; (2) any employee of DHS in 
his or her official capacity; (3) any employee of DHS in his or her 
individual capacity where DOJ or DHS has agreed to represent said 
employee; or (4) the United States or any agency thereof;
    K. To appropriate Federal, State, local, tribal, or foreign 
governmental agencies or multilateral governmental organizations 
responsible for investigating or prosecuting the violations of, or for 
enforcing or implementing, a statute, rule, regulation, order, license, 
or treaty where DHS determines that the information would assist in the 
enforcement of civil or criminal laws;
    L. To Federal and foreign government intelligence or 
counterterrorism agencies when DHS reasonably believes there to be a 
threat or potential threat to national or international security for 
which the information may be useful in countering the threat or 
potential threat, when DHS reasonably believes such use is to assist in 
anti-terrorism efforts, and disclosure is appropriate to the proper 
performance of the official duties of the person making the disclosure;

DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES:
    None.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, 
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
    Data is stored in computer accessible storage media and hardcopy 
format.

RETRIEVABILITY:
    Agency records are retrieved by name of applicant or other unique 
identifier to include: verification number, A-Number, I-94 Number, Visa 
Number, SEVIS ID , or by the submitting agency name. Employer records 
are retrieved by verification number, A-Number, I-94 Number, Receipt 
Number, or Social Security Number of the employee, or by the submitting 
company name.

SAFEGUARDS:
    Information in this system is safeguarded in accordance with 
applicable laws and policies, including the DHS information technology 
security policies and the Federal Information Security Management Act 
(FISMA). All records are protected from unauthorized access through 
appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. These 
safeguards include restricting access to authorized personnel who have 
a need-to-know, using locks, and password protection features. The 
system is also protected through a multi-layer security approach. The 
protective strategies are physical, technical, administrative and 
environmental in nature, which provide access control to sensitive 
data, physical access control to DHS facilities, confidentiality of 
communications, authentication of sending parties, and personnel 
screening to ensure that all personnel with access to data are screened 
through background investigations commensurate with the level of access 
required to perform their duties.
    Information maintained by DHS contractors for this system is also 
safeguarded in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations, 
including DHS IT security policies and FISMA. . Access is controlled 
through user identification and discrete password functions to assure 
that accessibility is limited.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
    Completed verifications are archived to a storage disk monthly and 
are archived. The following proposal for retention and disposal is 
being prepared to be sent to the National Archives and Records 
Administration for approval. Records are stored and retained in the VIS 
Repository for twenty (20) years, from the date of the completion of 
the verification. VIS will retain data contained within this system to 
facility USCIS' ability to conduct trend analysis that may reflect the 
commission of fraud or other illegal activity related to misuse of 
either the SAVE or Basic Pilot program and to facilitate the 
reconstruction of an individual's

[[Page 17573]]

employment eligibility history. Further, retaining the data for this 
period of time will enable USCIS to fight identity fraud and 
misappropriation of benefits.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
    Director, Verification Division, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 
Services, DDC Building, 4th Floor, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20529.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
    Please address your inquiries about the VIS system in writing to 
the system manager identified above. To determine whether this system 
contains records relating to you, provide a written request containing 
the following information:
    1. Identification of the record system;
    2. Identification of the category and types of records sought; and
    3. The requesting individual's signature and verification of 
identity pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1746, which permits statements to be 
made under penalty of perjury. Alternatively, a notarized statement may 
be provided.
    Address inquiries to the system manager at: Director, Verification 
Division, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 111 Massachusetts 
Avenue, NW., 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20529 or to the Freedom of 
Information/Privacy Act Office, USCIS, National Records Center, P.O. 
Box 6481010, Lee Summit, MO 64064-8010.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    In order to gain access to one's information stored in the VIS 
database, a request for access must be made in writing and addressed to 
the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) officer at USCIS. 
Individuals who are seeking information pertaining to themselves are 
directed to clearly mark the envelope and letter ``Privacy Act 
Request.'' Within the text of the request, the subject of the record 
must provide his/her account number and/or the full name, date and 
place of birth, and notarized signature, and any other information 
which may assist in identifying and locating the record, and a return 
address. For convenience, individuals may obtain Form G-639, FOIA/PA 
Request, from the nearest DHS office and used to submit a request for 
access. The procedures for making a request for access to one's records 
can also be found on the USCIS Web site, located at https://
www.uscis.gov.
    An individual who would like to file a FOIA/PA request to view 
their USCIS record may do so by sending the request to the following 
address: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, National Records 
Center, FOIA/PA Office, P.O. Box 648010, Lee's Summit, MO 64064-8010.

CONTESTING RECORDS PROCEDURES:
    Individuals have an opportunity to correct their data by submitting 
a redress request directly to the USCIS Privacy Officer who refers the 
redress request to USCIS's Office of Records. When a redress is made, 
the change is added directly to the existing records stored in the 
underlying DHS system of records from which the information was 
obtained. Once the record is updated in the underlying DHS system of 
records, it is downloaded into VIS. If an applicant believes their file 
is incorrect but does not know which information is erroneous, the 
applicant may file a Privacy Act request as detailed in the section 
titled ``Record access procedures'' above.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    Information contained comes from several sources: A. Information 
derived from the following DHS systems of records, USCIS's CIS, 
CLAIMS3, ISRS, and BSS; CBP's TECS; and ICE's SEVIS, B. Information 
collected from agencies and employers about individuals seeking 
government benefits or employment with an employer using an employment 
verification program, C. Information collected from system users at 
either the agency or the employer used to provide account access to the 
verification program, and D. Information developed by VIS to identify 
possible issues of misuse or fraud.

EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM:
    None.

    Issued in Arlington, Virginia.
Hugo Teufel III,
Chief Privacy Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-6611 Filed 4-6-07; 8:45 am]
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