The Public charge has never applied to asylum seekers applicants, but was intended to apply to those seeking status as a family members of someone with a green card or citizen
USDA and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a letter clarifying that applying for or receiving SNAP does not make someone a public charge and will not be considered in a public charge determination.
Applying for or receiving SNAP will not affect someone’s ability to:
– Remain in the United States
– Get a Green Card/Permanent Legal Resident Status,
– Keep a Green Card/Permanent Legal Resident Status, or
– Become a U.S. Citizen.
– SNAP Logo Guidance
You can also apply for SNAP on behalf of the eligible immigrants or U.S. citizens in your family, even if you do not want to apply for benefits for yourself, without affecting your or their immigration status. For example, if a parent is not eligible for SNAP because of their immigration status, they can still apply for their eligible children. The SNAP office is not allowed to ask for immigration documents for people who are not applying to receive benefits themselves.
If you need food help, and you or members of your household qualify, please apply for SNAP for yourself or your family. Do it for your family’s good!
For more information relating to general immigration information in English or in Spanish, please call USCIS at 1-800-375-5283.
For general information about SNAP, please call 1-800-221-5689 (English only) or 202-720-2791 (English and Spanish) to be connected to your state’s SNAP hotline.
For more information, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/joint-letter-public-charge (Spanish and English language versions are attached below).
NEW: Applying for or Receiving SNAP Does Not Make Someone a Public Charge – Feeding Indiana’s Hungry (feedingindianashungry.org)
There are income limits associated with being eligible for SNAP/
Find Free Food and Groceries | Feeding America
-So, if you have questions, reach out and we will put you in touch with local organizations who can help you walk through this.
Similarly, having Emergency Medicaid does NOT jeopardize your immigration process
” Applying for or receiving Medicaid or CHIP benefits, or getting savings for health insurance costs in the Marketplace, doesn’t make someone a “public charge”. This means it won’t affect their chances of becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident or U.S. citizen.”
The one exception is if you are in a long term care facility (nursing home), at government expense. But not routine medical treatment.
Health coverage for lawfully present immigrants | HealthCare.gov
