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You are here: Home > Food Stamp Program > Applicants and Recipients
Food Stamp Program

Immigrant Eligibility Requirements

The 2002 Farm Bill restores food stamp eligibility to most legal immigrants that:

  • Have lived in the country for 5 years; or

  • Are receiving disability-related assistance or benefits, regardless of entry date; or

  • Starting 10-1-03, are children regardless of entry date.

Certain non-citizens such as those admitted for humanitarian reasons and those admitted for permanent residence are also eligible for the program. Eligible household members can get food stamps even if there are other members of the household that are not eligible.

(See Food Stamp Policy on Immigrants for information on qualified alien categories and eligibility)

Non-citizens that are in the U.S. temporarily, such as students, are not eligible. 

A number of States have their own programs to provide benefits to immigrants who do not meet the regular Food Stamp Program eligibility requirements.  For a table of those programs, see State Programs.


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