Benefits Eligibility Screener

For most people, no. Public charge rules only come up when someone applies for a green card or a visa. They do not apply to U.S. citizens, to green card holders renewing a card, or to refugees, asylees, VAWA self-petitioners, T or U visa holders, TPS holders, or Special Immigrant Juveniles. If you are applying for a green card or a visa, a federal rule changed on September 18, 2026 — see the next question. Benefits your U.S. citizen children receive usually do not count against you. This is general information, not legal advice. You can find a free or low-cost immigration lawyer through the National Immigration Legal Services Directory at immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory. Only a licensed immigration lawyer or a DOJ-accredited representative can advise you — a notario is not a lawyer.

A federal rule published on July 20, 2026 (91 FR 45324) took effect September 18, 2026. It removes the 2022 rules that kept SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, and housing help out of public charge decisions. Starting that day, the officer deciding a green card or visa case can look at most benefits a person gets because of low income — including SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, WIC, school meals, and housing help — as one part of the whole picture. No single benefit decides a case by itself; officers still weigh age, health, income, skills, and family together. Two things protect you. First, non-cash benefits (like SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, WIC, and housing help) that you applied for, were approved for, or received before September 18, 2026 do not count, no matter when you file. Cash assistance (SSI, TANF, or state general assistance) and long-term care in an institution paid by the government could already count under the older rules, and still can. Second, if your green card application is postmarked or filed online before September 18, 2026, your whole case is decided under the older, narrower 2022 rules. This does not change who can get benefits — eligibility rules are the same. It only changes what an immigration officer may consider. This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a free or low-cost immigration lawyer through immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory before you drop or delay a benefit.

Usually, yes. Only drug felonies can affect SNAP, and only depending on your state. A 1996 federal law banned SNAP and TANF for people with drug felony convictions, but states can opt out or set conditions. Most states have opted out or allow SNAP if you meet conditions like completing treatment or following parole. South Carolina is the only state that still fully bans SNAP for drug felonies, and seven states (AZ, GA, MO, NE, SC, TX, WV) still ban TANF cash assistance. Other felonies and misdemeanors generally do not affect SNAP, though people with an outstanding warrant or a probation or parole violation, and some people convicted of certain violent crimes, can be barred. Even where you are banned, others in your household — including your children — can still get benefits in their own right. Answer Yes to the record question in the screener to check your state.

A record does not disqualify you from most programs. Medicaid, Pell Grants for school, and free job training through American Job Centers (WIOA) are open to people with records, and people leaving incarceration are a priority group for job training. SSI and SSDI are suspended, not ended, while you are incarcerated and can be restarted after release. Federal housing assistance has only two mandatory bans — lifetime sex offender registration and making meth in federally assisted housing — and other record screening must be done case by case. Some states also let you enroll in Medicaid up to 90 days before release. Call 211 for local help.

No. Applying for SNAP, Medicaid, or other benefits does not affect your criminal case or parole status. Some states make following your parole conditions a requirement for SNAP after a drug felony, so keep up with those conditions. This is general information, not legal advice — a legal aid office can help if you are denied.

Yes — most programs use your gross monthly household income compared to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The screener applies 2026 FPL thresholds and adjusts for household size. Some programs like SNAP and Medicaid have different income counting rules (e.g., they may exclude certain deductions).

Yes. Many working families qualify for SNAP, Medicaid, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). In fact, working can increase your EITC. There are no work penalties for most programs — and EITC specifically rewards earned income.

Lifeline is a federal program that reduces your monthly phone or internet bill by up to $9.25/month ($34.25/month on Tribal lands). You qualify automatically if you receive SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or certain other benefits. Visit lifelinesupport.org to apply.

Most SNAP applications are processed within 30 days. If your household is in a crisis situation (income below $150/month or less than $100 in resources), you may qualify for expedited SNAP within 7 days. Apply at your state's benefits portal or call 211.