Last updated: July 2010

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the federal food stamp program which provides low-income families with the money to purchase groceries. In Illinois, food stamps are issued on a monthly basis through the LINK card.

Immigrants may be eligible for the SNAP program if they are:

• Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) who have been found blind or disabled;
• LPRs who have lived in the United States and maintained this immigration status for 5 years;
• LPRs who have 40 qualifying quarters or LPRs who were legally residing in the US on 8/22/1996, and were 65 on or before 8/22/1996;
• LPRs under the age of 18
• LPRs who were previously eligible under one of the seven groups below:

The following seven groups of individuals are also eligible:

• Refugees/Asylees
• Cuban nationals
• Haitian nationals
• Amerasians
• Individuals whose deportation was withhold
• Certain Canadian-born American Indians
• Certain Iraqi and Afghan immigrants

Other eligible aliens include: legal aliens who are veterans or active in the military and their dependents, certain Hmong and Highland Laotians legally residing in the US.

The following must meet the above LPR criteria: a) parolees; b) conditional entrants, and c) some abused spouses. 

Even if you do not qualify because of your immigration status, you can apply for your children or other members of the household who do qualify.

SNAP is an entitlement program and is not counted towards a public charge for anyone receiving them. Receiving food stamps through SNAP will never affect your immigration status in any way.

To participate in the SNAP program and receive food stamps, you must still earn less than the income limits and meet the other requirements of the program. For more information, see "How to Get Food Stamps"

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