This Benchcard discusses the qualifications for Continued Presence status, how to apply for and obtain Office of Refugee and Resettlement benefits eligibility based on Continued Presence, qualifications for T-Visa status, how to apply for a T-Visa, and how to receive benefits after receiving Continued Presence status or a T-Visa. It also outlines the federal and state public benefits and other government-funded programs available to trafficking victims as well as the eligibility period.
Topic: SSI
Materials regarding supplemental security income (SSI).
[pdf] U.S. Departments of HHS and Agriculture: Q&A Re: Citizenship and Immigration Status Policy Guidance (March 24, 2006) (+)
U.S. Department of HHS and Agriculture: Policy guidance regarding inquiries into citizenship, immigration status and social security numbers in state applications for medicaid, state children’s health insurance program (SCHIP), temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), and food stamp benefits.
[pdf] Policy Guidance RE: Citizenship, Immigration Status, and Social Security Numbers (January 21, 2003) (+)
Policy guidance regarding inquiries into citizenship, immigration status, and social security numbers in state applications for Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and food stamp benefits. Updated in 2006 and July 26, 2013.
[pdf] Access to Public Benefits for Battered Immigrant Women and Children (September 1999) (+)
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRAIRA) have substantially altered an immigrant’s ability to receive public benefits. These laws eliminated eligibility for most immigrants for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and federal food stamps and gave states the discretion to determine whether immigrants can qualify for federal, state, and local public benefit programs. Subsequent laws, however, have restored access to SSI and food stamps for very limited numbers of immigrants.