|
It will NOT hurt
your chances of getting a green card if YOU, your CHILDREN, or other FAMILY MEMBERS
use:
|
HEALTH CARE, such as: Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance Program
(SCHIP), WIC,
prenatal care, other free or low-cost medical care
FOOD programs, such as: Food programs, WIC, school meals, and other food assistance
Other programs that do not give cash, such as: public housing, disaster relief,
child care services, job training, transportation vouchers
|
|
You MIGHT
have a problem getting your green card later ONLY IF:
|
YOU use CASH WELFARE, such as: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or General Assistance (GA)
- OR your family’s only source of support is cash welfare received by your CHILDREN
or other FAMILY MEMBERS
- OR you are in a nursing home or other LONG-TERM CARE
paid for by Medicaid or other
government funds.
|
|
If you are a REFUGEE or ASYLEE |
- You can use ANY benefits, including cash welfare, health care, food programs, and
non-cash programs
, without hurting your chances of getting a green card.
|
|
If you already HAVE a green card |
- You
CANNOT lose
your green card if YOU, your CHILDREN, or other FAMILY MEMBERS use:
|
- HEALTH CARE, FOOD programs, and other NON-CASH programs
|
|
But you MIGHT have a problem:
|
- If you leave the U.S. for more than 6 months continuously and you have used cash
welfare or long-term care.
- OR in extremely rare cases, if you use cash welfare or long-term care during your
first 5 years in the U.S., for reasons (such as an illness or disability) that existed
before you entered the country.
|
|
If you are applying for U.S. citizenship |
- You CANNOT be denied U.S. citizenship
for
lawfully receiving benefits, including cash welfare, health care, food programs, and
non-cash programs.
|
|
If you want to sponsor your relative |
- Using benefits including cash welfare, health care, food programs, and non-cash
programs, should not prevent you from sponsoring your relative
. But you will need to
show that you or your co-sponsor earn enough income to support your relative.
|
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL YOUR LOCAL
IMMIGRATION RIGHTS ADVOCATE.
|
