UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES MAY A NONCITIZEN BE ELIGIBLE FOR SSI?A noncitizen (also called an "alien" for immigration purposes) may be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if he or she meets the requirements of the laws for noncitizens that went into effect on August 22, 1996. In general, beginning August 22, 1996, most noncitizens must meet two requirements to be potentially eligible for SSI:
IMPORTANT: A noncitizen must also meet all of the
other rules for SSI eligibility, including the limits
on income and resources,
etc.
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WHO IS A QUALIFIED ALIEN?There are 7 categories of qualified aliens. You are a qualified alien if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says you are in one of these categories:
In addition, you can be a “deemed qualified alien” if, under certain circumstances, you, your child or parent were subjected to battery or extreme cruelty by a family member while in the United States. |
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UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS MAY A "QUALIFIED ALIEN" BE ELIGIBLE FOR SSI BENEFITS?If you are in one of the 7 "qualified alien" categories listed above, you may be eligible for SSI if you also meet one of the following conditions:
IMPORTANT: If you entered the United States on or after August 22, 1996, then you may not
be eligible for SSI for the first five years as an LAPR even if you have
40 qualifying quarters of coverage.
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EXEMPTION |
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ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE ALIEN CATEGORIESVictims of Severe Forms of Human trafficking: You may be eligible for SSI under certain circumstances if the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/) and the Department of Homeland Security determines that you meet the requirements of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Special eligibility for nationals of Iraq or Afghanistan: If you are an Iraqi or Afghan national who was admitted to the U.S. as a special immigrant, you may qualify for seven years of SSI benefits if you served as a translator/interpreter for the U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq or Afghanistan or if you worked for the U.S. government in Iraq. If you are an Afghan humanitarian parolee, or Afghan Non-Special Immigrant Parolee, you may qualify for SSI until March 31, 2023, or until the end of your parole period, whichever is later. Ukraine humanitarian parolees: Certain citizens and nationals of Ukraine (or people who last habitually resided in Ukraine) who are paroled into the U.S. between February 24, 2022 and September 30, 2023, or after September 30, 2023 if you are the spouse or child of an individual paroled between February 24, 2022 and September 30, 2023, may be eligible for up to seven years of SSI benefits. |
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WE NEED PROOF OF YOUR IMMIGRATION STATUSIf you apply for SSI benefits, you must give us proof of your immigration status, such as a current DHS admission/departure Form I-94, Form I-551 or an order from an immigration judge showing withholding of removal or granting asylum. If you have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, you may also need to give us proof of military service such as U.S. military discharge papers (DD Form 214) showing an honorable discharge. Your local Social Security office can tell you what other types of evidence you can submit to prove your alien status. |
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WHAT IF YOU HAVE A SPONSOR?When you entered the U.S., you may have had someone sign an agreement with DHS to provide support for you. We call this agreement an affidavit of support, and we call the person who signs it your sponsor. If you have a sponsor, we generally will count his or her (and his or her spouse's) income and resources as your income and resources. Your local Social Security office can give you more information about these rules and how they apply in your case. |
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BECOMING A U.S. CITIZENYou can get more information about becoming a U.S. citizen by writing or visiting the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website at www.uscis.gov or calling 1-800-870-3676 to get an application package for naturalization (DHS Form N-400). |
THIS INFORMATION IS GENERAL.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 1–800–772–1213 (TTY 1–800–325–0778),
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
(www.ssa.gov) ON THE INTERNET,
OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE.