Citizenship and Alien Status - Immigrant Eligibility Restrictions for State Cash Assistance and Chemical Dependency Programs – SFA, GA, and ADATSA
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Citizenship and Alien Status - Immigrant Eligibility Restrictions for State Cash Assistance and Chemical Dependency Programs – SFA, GA, and ADATSA

Revised August 28, 2008

Purpose: This section provides information on how an alien’s immigration status affects their eligibility for the State Family Assistance (SFA), General Assistance (GA), and ADATSA programs. The purpose of SFA is to provide assistance to immigrants and others who are ineligible to receive TANF benefits because of the restrictions imposed under federal welfare reform. GA provides assistance to incapacitated, disabled, or aged individuals, including those who are ineligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to immigrant or other restrictions. ADATSA chemical dependency services are broadly available to legal immigrants.
WAC 388-424-0015Immigrant Eligibility restrictions for the State Family Assistance, General Assistance, and ADATSA programs

WAC 388-424-0015

WAC 388-424-0015

Effective September 1, 2004

WAC 388-424-0015 Immigrant Eligibility restrictions for the State Family Assistance, General Assistance, and ADATSA programs

  1. To receive State Family Assistance (SFA) benefits, you must be:

    1. A “qualified alien” as defined in WAC 388-424-0001 who is ineligible for TANF due to the five-year bar as described in WAC 388-424-0006 (3); or

    2. A PRUCOL alien as defined in WAC 388-424-0001, including a non-citizen American Indian who does not meet the criteria in WAC 388-424-0001.

  2. To receive General Assistance (GA) benefits, you must be ineligible for the TANF, SFA, or SSI program for a reason other than failure to cooperate with program requirements, and belong to one of the following groups as defined in WAC 388-424-0001 :

    1. A U.S. citizen; 

    2. A U.S. national;

    3. An American Indian born outside the U.S.;

    4. A ”qualified alien” or similarly defined lawful immigrant such as Hmong or Highland Lao or victim of trafficking; or

    5. A PRUCOL alien.

  3. To receive ADATSA benefits, you must belong to one of the following groups as defined in WAC 388-424-0001 :

    1. A U. S. citizen;

    2. A U. S. national;

    3. An American Indian born outside the U.S.;

    4. A “qualified alien” or similarly defined lawful immigrant such as Hmong or Highland Lao or victim of trafficking; or

    5. A PRUCOL alien.

This is a reprint of the official rule as published by the Office of the Code Reviser. If there are previous versions of this rule, they can be found using the Legislative Search page.

CLARIFYING INFORMATION

  1. GA is broadly accessible to immigrants as long as they meet all other program requirements. Non-immigrants and undocumented aliens, as defined in WAC 388-424-0001, are not eligible for GA.

  2. Becoming a citizen (naturalizing) is not a program requirement for any state or federal benefit. Generally, a client is not eligible to naturalize until 5 years after they have attained legal status, but there are some exceptions. DSHS provides naturalization assistance to those immigrants receiving state or federal benefits so that they can become citizens. For more information on this program, see the Social Services Manual SSI Facilitation Chapter,  for non-U.S. citizens. Immigrants who don’t become citizens and lose SSI due to expiration of seven years of refugee status (which also affects asylees, victims of trafficking, Cuban Haitian entrants, Amerasians, and those granted withholding of removal) will be provided GA or TANF, Basic Food, and medical assistance, assuming they are otherwise eligible.

WORKER RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. Related WACs:

    1. See WAC 388-424-0016  for treatment of the income of household members who are ineligible to receive SFA due to their alien status.

    2. See WAC 388-450-0160 and WAC 388-470-0060  for treatment of income and resources of a sponsored alien’s sponsor.

  2. When a client reports a change in their status, update their alien status on the ALAS screen in ACES. It is particularly important to record changes in status for recipients of state-funded cash or medical programs, as these aliens may become eligible for federal programs as a result of this change in status.

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Modification Date: August 28, 2008
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