Privacy Threshold Analysis

The Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
703-235-0780, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version date: June 10th, 2009
Page 1 of 6

PRIVACY THRESHOLD ANALYSIS (PTA)
This form is used to determine whether
a Privacy Impact Assessment is required.

Please use the attached form to determine whether a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is required under
the E-Government Act of 2002 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
Please complete this form and send it to your component Privacy Office. If you do not have a component
Privacy Office, please send the PTA to the DHS Privacy Office:
Rebecca J. Richards
Director of Privacy Compliance
The Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Tel: 703-235-0780

[email protected]

Upon receipt, the DHS Privacy Office will review this form. If a PIA is required, the DHS Privacy Office
will send you a copy of the Official Privacy Impact Assessment Guide and accompanying Template to
complete and return.
A copy of the Guide and Template is available on the DHS Privacy Office website, www.dhs.gov/privacy,
on DHSOnline and directly from the DHS Privacy Office via email: [email protected], phone: 703-235-0780.

The Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
703-235-0780, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version date: June 10th, 2009
Page 2 of 6

PRIVACY THRESHOLD ANALYSIS (PTA)
Please complete this form and send it to the DHS Privacy Office.
Upon receipt, the DHS Privacy Office will review this form
and may request additional information.
SUMMARY INFORMATION
DATE submitted for review: April 2, 2010
NAME of Project: Form I-912, Request for an Individual Fee Wavier
Name of Component: US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Name of Project Manager: Elizabeth Post
Email for Project Manager: [email protected]
Phone number for Project Manager: 816-251-2780
TYPE of Project:
Information Technology and/or System 
A Notice of Proposed Rule Making or a Final Rule.
Other: Information Collection Request



The E-Government Act of 2002 defines these terms by reference to the definition sections of Titles 40 and
44 of the United States Code. The following is a summary of those definitions:
•“Information Technology” means any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of
equipment, used in the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement,
control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. See 40
U.S.C. § 11101(6).
•“Information System” means a discrete set of information resources organized for the collection,
processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, or disposition of information. See: 44. U.S.C. §
3502(8).
Note, for purposes of this form, there is no distinction made between national security systems or
technologies/systems managed by contractors. All technologies/systems should be initially reviewed
for potential privacy impact.

The Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
703-235-0780, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version date: June 10th, 2009
Page 3 of 6
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
1.

Describe the project and its purpose:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is funded by application and petition
fees. Some individuals may not be able to pay the filing fee. The I-912 form is used to request
an individual fee wavier.
2.

Status of Project:
This is a new development effort.
This is an existing project.
Date first developed:
Date last updated:

3.

Could the project relate in any way to an individual? 1
No. Please skip ahead to the next question.
Yes. Please provide a general description, below.
Individuals are applying for fee wavier and provide their name, A-number, SSN and DOB

4.

Do you collect, process, or retain information on: (Please check all that apply)
DHS Employees
Contractors working on behalf of DHS
The Public
The System does not contain any such information.

1

Projects can relate to individuals in a number of ways. For example, a project may include a camera for
the purpose of watching a physical location. Individuals may walk past the camera and images of those
individuals may be recorded. Projects could also relate to individuals in more subtle ways. For example, a
project that is focused on detecting radioactivity levels may be sensitive enough to detect whether an
individual received chemotherapy.

The Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
703-235-0780, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version date: June 10th, 2009
Page 4 of 6
5.

Do you use or collect Social Security Numbers (SSNs)? (This includes truncated SSNs)
No.
Yes. Why does the program collect SSNs? Provide the function of the SSN and the
legal authority to do so:

6.

What information about individuals could be collected, generated or retained?

8.

Can the system be accessed remotely?
No.
Yes. When remote access is allowed, is the access accomplished by a virtual private network
(VPN)?
No.
Yes.

The Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
703-235-0780, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version date: June 10th, 2009
Page 5 of 6
9.

Is Personally Identifiable Information 2 physically transported outside of the LAN? (This can
include mobile devices, flash drives, laptops, etc.)
No.
Yes.

10.

Does the system connect, receive, or share Personally Identifiable Information with any other
DHS systems3?
No
Yes. Please list:

11.

Are there regular (ie. periodic, recurring, etc.) data extractions from the system?
No.
Yes. Are these extractions included as part of the Certification and Accreditation4?
Yes.
No.

12.

Is there a Certification & Accreditation record within OCIO’s FISMA tracking system?
Unknown.
No.
Yes. Please indicate the determinations for each of the following:

2

Confidentiality:

Low

Moderate

High

Undefined

Integrity:

Low

Moderate

High

Undefined

Availability:

Low

Moderate

High

Undefined

Personally Identifiable Information is information that can identify a person. This includes; name, address, phone
number, social security number, as well as health information or a physical description.
3
PII may be shared, received, or connected to other DHS systems directly, automatically, or by manual processes.
Often, these systems are listed as “interconnected systems” in TAFISMA.
4
This could include the Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) or a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

The Privacy Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
703-235-0780, [email protected]
www.dhs.gov/privacy

Privacy Threshold Analysis
Version date: June 10th, 2009
Page 6 of 6
PRIVACY THRESHOLD REVIEW
(To be Completed by the DHS Privacy Office)

DATE reviewed by the DHS Privacy Office: April 16, 2010
NAME of the DHS Privacy Office Reviewer: Rebecca J. Richards
DESIGNATION
This is NOT a Privacy Sensitive System – the system contains no Personally Identifiable
Information.
This IS a Privacy Sensitive System
Category of System
IT System
National Security System
Legacy System
HR System
Rule
Other: Form
Determination
PTA sufficient at this time
Privacy compliance documentation determination in progress
PIA is not required at this time
A PIA is required
System covered by existing PIA: USCIS CLAIMS 3
A new PIA is required.
A PIA Update is required.
A SORN is required
System covered by existing SORN: DHS/USCIS-007
A new SORN is required.
DHS PRIVACY OFFICE COMMENTS