Health & Benefits

You may be immediately eligible for the SNAP program if you are a member of one of the following groups:

• A Qualified Immigrant who is under 18 years old,
• Refugees,
• Trafficking victims,
• Asylees,
• Immigrants who have had their deportations withheld,
• Amerasian immigrants,
• Cuban or Haitian immigrants,
• Iraqi and Afghan immigrants,
• Native Americans born in a different country,
• Members of the Hmong or Highland Laotian tribes,
• Immigrants born on or before August 22, 1931, and who lawfully lived in the United States on August 22, 1996,
• LPRs who are blind or disabled,
• LPRs who are veterans or active duty A legal obligation to do something members of the US military and their dependents, or
• LPRs who have 40 qualifying quarters of work.

You may be eligible for the SNAP Program after a 5-year waiting period if you are in one of the following groups:

• LPRs,
• Parolees,
• Immigrants granted conditional entry, or
• Victims of domestic violence Harm by one household or family member against another household or family member. Harm may be an emotional, mental, or physical injury .

You can apply for yourself even if others in your household are not eligible because of their immigration status. To learn more about qualifying for SNAP, please see SNAP Policy on Non-Citizen Eligibility.

I do not qualify. What other options do I have?

If you do not qualify for food stamps, you can still apply for other people. You can apply for your children or other members of the household who do qualify.

To receive food stamps through the SNAP program, you must meet all the program requirements. The program has an income limit. This means you must not earn more than a certain amount of money.

Receiving food stamps through SNAP will not affect your immigration status. May 2025 note: The US Department of Agriculture has asked states for SNAP information, but it is unclear if and how this information will be collected and used. 

For more information, please see Getting Food Stamps (SNAP).