Health and Recovery Services Administration, Department of Social and Health Services

WILL USING BENEFITS HURT MY CHANCES OF GETTING A GREEN CARD OR BECOMING A U.S. CITIZEN?

line.gif (102 bytes)

GOOD NEWS! U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says:
  • It will NOT hurt your chances of getting a green card if YOU, your CHILDREN, or other FAMILY MEMBERS use:
  • HEALTH CARE, such as: Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), WIC, prenatal care, other free or low-cost medical care
  • FOOD programs, such as: Food programs, WIC, school meals, and other food assistance
  • Other programs that do not give cash, such as: public housing, disaster relief, child care services, job training, transportation vouchers
  • You MIGHT have a problem getting your green card later ONLY IF:
  • YOU use CASH WELFARE, such as: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or General Assistance (GA)
  • OR your family’s only source of support is cash welfare received by your CHILDREN or other FAMILY MEMBERS
  • OR you are in a nursing home or other LONG-TERM CARE paid for by Medicaid or other government funds.

If you are a REFUGEE or ASYLEE
  • You can use ANY benefits, including cash welfare, health care, food programs, and non-cash programs, without hurting your chances of getting a green card.

If you already HAVE a green card
  • You CANNOT lose your green card if YOU, your CHILDREN, or other FAMILY MEMBERS use:
  • HEALTH CARE, FOOD programs, and other NON-CASH programs
  • CASH WELFARE
  • LONG-TERM CARE
  • But you MIGHT have a problem:
  • If you leave the U.S. for more than 6 months continuously and you have used cash welfare or long-term care.
  • OR in extremely rare cases, if you use cash welfare or long-term care during your first 5 years in the U.S., for reasons (such as an illness or disability) that existed before you entered the country.

If you are applying for U.S. citizenship
  • You CANNOT be denied U.S. citizenship for lawfully receiving benefits, including cash welfare, health care, food programs, and non-cash programs.

If you want to sponsor your relative
  • Using benefits including cash welfare, health care, food programs, and non-cash programs, should not prevent you from sponsoring your relative. But you will need to show that you or your co-sponsor earn enough income to support your relative.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL YOUR LOCAL
IMMIGRATION RIGHTS ADVOCATE.
 

For comments or questions regarding Health and Recovery Services , email contact us

Page modified: November 2009       

Privacy Notice
Contact DSHS        Contact Webmaster