You may qualify to receive food stamps through the SNAP program if you belong to one of the following groups:

• Individuals who have held Legal Resident (LPR) or another qualified immigrant status for at least 5 years
• Veterans and active duty members of the US military and their spouse and children
• LPRs under the age of 18
• LPRs who are blind or disabled
• LPRs who have 40 qualifying quarters of work. See Quarter of Coverage to learn what qualifies.
• LPRs who were legally residing in the US on August 22, 1996, and were 65 on or before August 22, 1996
• Certain Iraqi and Afghan immigrants
• Victims of trafficking, torture or other serious crimes and their derivative family members if they have applied for "T" Non-immigrant status, "U" Non-immigrant status, or Asylum status. If they are preparing to file an application with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for such status, this qualifies.

To learn more about qualifying for SNAP, please see SNAP Policy on Non-Citizen Eligibility.

I do not qualify. What other options do I have?

If you do not qualify for food stamps, you can still apply for other people. You can apply for your children or other members of the household who do qualify.

To receive food stamps through the SNAP program, you must meet all the program requirements. The program has an income limit. This means you must not earn more than a certain amount of money.

Receiving food stamps through SNAP will not affect your immigration status. For more information, please see Getting Food Stamps (SNAP).