Explainer: Immigrants and the Use of Public Benefits in the United States
By Valerie Lacarte
Other than refugees, noncitizens living in the United States face significant restrictions on access to public benefits funded by the federal government, including programs such as Medicaid, food stamps (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and cash assistance programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). This is particularly the case for unauthorized immigrants, who except in very limited circumstances are barred from all federally funded public benefits. Immigrants on temporary visas, such as international students or seasonal workers, are likewise barred. Even most legal permanent residents (aka green-card holders) face a five-year waiting period before they can qualify for federal benefits. These restrictions are longstanding, in many cases dating back to a 1996 federal welfare reform law.
States and localities use an online service run by the Department of Homeland Security, known as SAVE, to determine whether applicants are eligible for benefits based on their immigration status.
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/content/immigrants-public-benefits-us
