Revised April 20, 2026

Purpose:

This section provides basic definitions of various citizen and immigrant statuses relevant for determining eligibility for federal and state programs.

WAC 388-424-0001 Citizenship and alien status - Definitions

• Clarifying Information

Clarifying Information - WAC 388-424-0001

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is the federal statutes that govern the entire immigration law. It is codified in Title 8 of the U.S. Code, starting with Section 1101.

For a list of typical citizenship/immigration documents see the:

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC) Guide in Appendix II, or
• Documents Typically Used by Lawfully Present Immigrants.

CSD staff: For guidance on how to read a Visa, I-94 Class of Admission Codes, or I-551, Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Category Codes and ACES 3G Coding refer to information in the Training – CSD Desk Aids - Immigration Section of the CSD Internal SharePoint website.

Release of information regarding non-citizens is subject to the same confidentiality rules that govern release of all DSHS clients’ data to outside parties. For more information on confidentiality of individually identifiable data, please see RCW 74.04.060. The department is only obligated to report clients’ information to the federal government when a sponsored immigrant receives federally funded benefits under the "indigence exemption". See WAC 388-450-0156, (7) for a description of this reporting requirement.

When requesting information necessary to determine citizenship or immigration status, be mindful of client rights. DSHS doesn't discriminate based on race, color or national origin. All similarly, situated clients should be treated in the same manner.

Request immigration status information only when needed to determine an applicant’s eligibility for public benefits. Never ask undocumented immigrants to contact United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) themselves.

Notify your supervisor if you believe a report to USCIS is necessary.

Eligibility for public benefits depends on an individual's citizenship or immigration status. All individuals fall into one of the following four groups for purposes of benefits eligibility. For more information, click the links for each category:

• U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals

1. U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals
2. Born Abroad/Acquisition of Citizenship
3. American Indian
4. The Child Citizenship Act of 2000

• Lawfully Present Qualified Aliens

5. Lawfully present immigrant
6. Qualified aliens
7. Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), or “green card” holder
8. Five Year Bar and Humanitarian Immigrants
9. Refugee
10. Withholding of Removal or Deportation, or Removal Withheld
11. Hmong or Highland Laotian tribe members
12. Parolee
13. Sponsored Immigrants
14. Citizens of Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Federal State of Micronesia (FSM), or Republic of Palau

• Lawfully Present Non-Qualified Aliens

15. Lawfully present non-qualified aliens
16. Lawfully present non-qualified aliens, who may be eligible for state funded assistance
17. Applicant for Asylum
18. Nonimmigrants who are in the U.S. for a specific purpose and limited time

• Undocumented Aliens

19. Undocumented Immigrants

Additional Information

The links below provide additional information for determining immigration status for individuals applying for public benefits:

• Alien
• Alien Number, or USCIS Number
• Immigration Status and Adjustment of Status
• Expired Documents versus Expired Status
• Additional Information About Specific Documents:
  • USCIS form I-797, Notice of Action
  • USCIS form I-797, Approval Notice
  • Order from an Immigration Judge
  • Receipt of Application for Asylum, USCIS form I-589
  • Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
  • USCIS form I-942, Request for Reduced Fee
• How to check status of an immigration application on the USCIS website

1. U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals.

Persons born in the United States or in U.S. territories, under the terms listed below, are U.S. citizens at birth. This includes persons born in:

• Puerto Rico, on or after April 11, 1899.  
• Canal Zone or the Republic of Panama, between February 26, 1904, and October 1, 1979, and one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of the person’s birth.
• U.S. Virgin Islands, on or after January 17, 1917. 
• Guam, on or after April 11, 1899.
• Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) on or after May 28, 1975, and their children, if under age 18 on that date.

U.S. Nationals are persons born in:

• American Samoa
• Swains Island
• Northern Mariana Islands, who did not choose in 1975 to become U.S. citizens.

U.S. nationals have the same eligibility for public assistance benefits as U.S. citizens.

2. Born Abroad/Acquisition of Citizenship.

It's possible that a child or a grandchild of a U.S. citizen who was born abroad, may have acquired citizenship at birth. In such cases, citizenship may depend on:

• Which parent is a U.S. citizen,
• How long the citizen-parent resided in the U.S., and
• Whether the parents were married at the time.

If unable to verify, refer individuals to an immigration attorney at the Northwest Justice Project, or the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (Western Washington - 206-587-4009; Eastern Washington - 509-854-2100).

3. American Indian is a term used to identify enrolled members of federally recognized tribes in the U.S. and Canada (see Governor's Office of Indian Affairs website) and Alaska Native villages and corporations.

To qualify for benefits they must provide verification of tribal enrollment showing they're:

• Members of a federally recognized Indian tribe (see Governor's Office of Indian Affairs website) or Alaska Native villages and corporations  and have a proof of tribal enrollment, or
• Canadian-born American Indians, who are at least 50% American Indian blood. This category doesn't include the spouse or child of such a person, unless he or she also possesses 50% of American Indian blood, or
• Canadian-born American Indians who are less than 50% American Indian blood, and who have been continuously residing in the U.S. since prior to December 24, 1952.

American Indians, who don't meet the criteria above, are undocumented unless they have another immigration status with USCIS.

4. The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 applies to children related to a citizen parent by birth or adoption only. Stepchildren aren't included unless also adopted. To acquire citizenship under the Act, persons must meet all the conditions in WAC 388-424-0001(7)(d)(i-iii) on or after February 27, 2001. If the child is 18 years or older when the parent becomes a citizen, child citizenship laws don't apply and the child must independently apply for naturalization. Once the terms of the Act are met, subsequent changes in the parents' marital status, such a separation or divorce, have no bearing on the child's citizenship. Nor does it matter whether the parent in question was a U.S. citizen at the time the child entered the U.S.

For persons who automatically become citizens under terms of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 or previous legislation, USCIS doesn't issue documentation unless requested. Clients may not be aware they, or their children, are already citizens.

If the client is uncertain about whether they meet conditions for automatic citizenship, refer them to an immigration attorney at the Northwest Justice Project, or the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (Western Washington - 206-587-4009; Eastern Washington - 509-854-2100).

5. Lawfully present immigrant is any non-U.S. citizen or non-U.S national presently permitted by the Department of Homeland Security, one of its agencies, or the Department of Justice to remain in the United States. A lawfully present immigrant must have current and valid proof of their status such as documentation issued by USCIS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or Department of Justice. A lawfully present immigrant must also meet state residency requirements in WAC 388-468-0005 to qualify for benefits.

6. Qualified aliens are lawfully present immigrants defined in federal law as one of the following:

• Lawful permanent resident, US Code §1641(b)(1).
• Asylee, US Code §1641(b)(2).
• Refugee, US Code §1641(b)(3).
• Hmong or Highland Lao are members of a Hmong or Highland Laotian tribe which rendered military assistance to the U.S. during the Vietnam era (August 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975), and are "lawfully present" in the U.S.
• Certified as a victim of human trafficking by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and their eligible family members.
• Special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan are individuals granted special immigrant status under INA §101(a)(27).
• “Alien” paroled under INA § 212(d)(5) for at least one year, US Code §1641(b)(4).
• “Alien” granted withholding of removal or deportation, US Code §1641(b)(5).
• “Alien” granted conditional entry under INA § 203(a)(7) as in effect before April 1, 1980, US Code §1641(b)(6).
• Cuban and Haitian entrant as defined in § 501(e) of Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980, US Code §1641(b)(7).
• Admitted as an Amerasian Immigrant from Vietnam through the orderly departure program, under section 584 of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, incorporated in the FY88 Continuing Resolution P.L. 100-212.
• Certain battered “aliens” as defined in US Code §1641(c)(1)-(3).

7. Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), or “green card” holder is a person who has permission to live and work in the U.S. permanently. An LPR status holder may apply for naturalization to become a U.S. citizen after living in the U.S. for a certain period of time depending on their marital and immigration status. LPRs are lawfully present and qualified immigrants.

8. Five Year Bar and Humanitarian Immigrants.

Sec. 403 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) states that immigrants, who entered the U.S. on or after August 22, 1996, aren't eligible to receive federally funded benefits for five years from the date they entered the U.S. as a qualified alien. Once they have met the five-year bar, they may qualify for federal benefits, if they meet all other eligibility requirements.

The following categories of immigrants are called humanitarian immigrants. They’re exempt from the five year bar for food and cash programs regardless of their date of entry into the country or grant of status::

• Cuban and Haitian Entrants.
• Honorably discharged U.S. military veterans, active duty military personnel, and their spouses and unmarried dependent children.
• Noncitizens admitted to the country as an Amerasian immigrant

The following humanitarian immigrants are exempt from the five-year bar for cash regardless of their date of entry into the country, but for food the exemption doesn’t occur until after they’re granted LPR status;

• Refugees;
• Asylees;
• Victims of a severe form of trafficking;
• Immigrants granted withholding of deportation or removal;
• Special Immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan;
• Battered aliens, as defined in WAC 388-424-0001(2)(c)(i-ii);

9. Refugee is “an alien outside their country of origin who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion” as defined by sec. 101 (a) (42) of the INA. 

10. Withholding of Removal or Deportation, or Removal Withheld is an immigration status, similar to asylee. It's usually granted by an Immigration Judge to an immigrant under section 241 (b)(3) or 243(h) of the INA. The USCIS or the Department of Justice withholds an immigrant's deportation because of a threat to life or freedom in the person's home country due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The Personal Work Responsibility and Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PWRORA) of 1996, codified at 8 U.S.C. 1612 (a)(2)(A) exempts immigrants whose deportation (removal) was withheld from the five-year bar on federally funded benefits. For food assistance, the exemption doesn't apply until the immigrant adjusts from this status to LPR. For more information on eligibility for benefits see WAC 388-424-0020(2)(iv).

11. Hmong or Highland Laotian tribe members:

• Must be born prior to May 8, 1975. The tribe member's spouse and unmarried dependent children don't have to be tribal members to qualify for federal benefits.
• Must be lawfully present in the U.S. and must sign the following statement under penalty of perjury to be eligible for federal benefits, if not eligible under a qualified alien status: 

  I declare, under penalty of perjury, that I was a Hmong or Highland Laotian tribe member when the tribe assisted the U.S. military during the Vietnam era (8/5/64 to 5/7/75).

   

  Signature

   

  Date

12. Parolee is a person granted permission to enter the U.S. in an emergency, or because it serves the humanitarian or public interest. The length of time someone is paroled into the U.S. can differ. If paroled into the U.S for.:

• At least one year or longer, the parolee is a lawfully present qualified immigrant for cash, but they are a non-qualified alien for food.
• Less than a year, the parolee is a lawfully present non-qualified alien for cash and food programs.

13. Sponsored Immigrants came to the United States on a family-based visa. They are required to have a “sponsor”, who is usually an immediate family member with income at least 125% of the federal poverty level. Starting December 19, 1997 sponsors are required to sign a legally enforceable USCIS form I-864 Affidavit of Support, which is a contract between the sponsor and the U.S. government.

Federal law doesn't limit the sponsor’s obligations to only the first 5 years of the sponsored immigrant being in the U.S. The sponsored immigrants’ eligibility for federal and state funded benefits don't terminate nor substitute for the sponsor’s obligations.

The I-864 Affidavit of Support commits the sponsor (or sponsors) to financial support of the sponsored immigrant, which ends only if the immigrant:

• Becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen.
• Has worked or can be credited with 40 work quarters under the  Social Security Act (can include spouse’s quarters).
• Becomes subject to removal or no longer has LPR status and has departed the U.S.; or
• Dies.

Divorce doesn't terminate a sponsor’s obligation to a spouse. 

State and federal programs have different rules and eligibility requirements, and sponsored immigrants still may be eligible for some state-funded benefits. For more information, see WAC 388-450-0156 and EA-Z Manual, Income, Allocation and Deeming.

14. Citizens of the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Federal State of Micronesia (FSM), and Republic of Palau (PAL) are citizens of sovereign nations. They're not citizens of the U.S., or U.S. nationals. Under the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985, citizens of RMI, FSM and PAL are lawfully present qualified aliens. They may live, study and work in the U.S. for an unlimited length of stay.

• Current or expired passport with admission stamp and notation that typically says “CFA/PAL” (Compact of Free Association/Palau), “CFA/FSM” (Compact of Free Association/Federated States of Micronesia), or “CFA/MIS” (Compact of Free Association/Republic of Marshall Islands), or
• Current or expired I-94 Arrival/Departure Record with a notation “CFA/PAL” (Compact of Free Association/Palau), “CFA/FSM” (Compact of Free Association/Federated States of Micronesia), or “CFA/MIS” (Compact of Free Association/Republic of Marshall Islands) and the letters “D/S,” which stand for “duration of stay”. It means they aren't limited to a specific amount of time, or
• Other documents verifying their citizenship of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia or Palau and entry status.

An electronic I-94 can be accessed with client permission and printed at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, I-94 website.

15. Lawfully present non-qualified alien is a term used in federal immigration law. It doesn't indicate whether an immigrant is eligible for benefits. Non-qualified aliens have temporary permission to stay in the U.S. If their application for status adjustment is denied, so is their temporary permission for remaining in the U.S., and their immigration documents aren't re-issued after they expire.

Non-qualified aliens may be eligible for some benefits. For more information, see WAC 388-424-0001, and EA-Z Manual Section - Citizenship and Alien Status Requirements Specific to Program.

All non-qualified aliens with expired documents and no application pending with USCIS are undocumented for eligibility purposes.

16. Lawfully present non-qualified aliens, who may be eligible for state funded assistance if they meet all other eligibility requirements:

• Abused immigrants who are a relative of a U.S. citizen with an approved I-130 petition but don't meet the other requirements of battered immigrants, as described in WAC 388-424-0001.
• Abused immigrants who have self-petitioned under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) but have not yet received the Notice of "Prima Facie" eligibility, as described in WAC 388-424-0001.
• Applicants for:
  • Asylum,
  • Cancellation of Removal,
  • Suspension of Deportation,
  • T visa (victim of trafficking),
  • U visa (victim of crime), 
  • Withholding of Deportation or Removal, or
  • Temporary Protected Status
• Immigrants granted the following immigration statuses:
  • Cancellation of Removal,
  • Continued Presence,
  • Deferred Action,
  • Deferred Enforced Departure,
  • Family Unity,
  • Suspension of Deportation,
  • Stay of Deportation or Removal,
  • Order of Supervision
  • Temporary Protected Status (TPS),
  • Voluntary Departure Granted – definite or indefinite time
• "K", "S", "U" or "V" visa holders (to allow family to stay together while waiting for the processing of an immigration visa)

• Lawful temporary residents under the amnesty program of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), including those admitted under Sections 210 ("special agricultural workers") and Sec. 245A of the INA.
• Individuals paroled into the U.S. for a period of less than one year.
• Individuals’ eligible to petition as special immigrant juveniles. These are juveniles who have been declared a "dependent of the state" and are eligible for long-term foster care due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are individuals granted deferred action status. DACA individuals may be eligible for state-funded assistance, including ABD/HEN Referral, SFA, and FAP.

17. Applicant for Asylum is a person who applied for asylum with USCIS or the Immigration Court, because they fled their country and are unable or unwilling to return due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a social group. Refer to the INA, Section 208(d)(5) for more information. There are two ways to apply for asylum:

• Affirmative asylum – application with USCIS and an Asylum Officer makes decision.
• Defensive asylum - application with Immigration Court, and Immigration Judge with the Department of Justice (DOJ) makes a decision. It’s called defensive asylum because it’s used as a defense against removal..

Applicants for asylum are lawfully present non-qualified aliens.

18. Nonimmigrants who are in the U.S. for a specific purpose and limited time are also non-qualified aliens, who have a permanent residence abroad to which they intend to return at the end of their stay. They all are in the U.S. for a limited time and don't meet residency requirements of WAC 388-468-0005.

• B1 and B2 visas often come attached because their requirements are basically the same. The B1 visa is for business visits and the B2 visa is for tourism and medical visits. There isn't a limit on how many times a person may visit the U.S. for a maximum of 180 days per visit in any given period of time.
• The student visas, J, F, and M visas, are for persons visiting the U.S. in the pursuit of education.
  • J visa is an Exchange Visitor visa for individuals approved to participate in work-and study-based exchange visitor programs.
  • F visa is for students who may remain in the U.S. for the entire time they remain full-time students with current enrollment.
  • M visa is for students permitted to remain in the U.S. for one year initially, with the option of applying for an extension of status up to three years.

Most international students can obtain part-time on-campus jobs. Off campus work is allowed only with an Employment Authorization Document.

19. Undocumented Immigrants are non-U.S. citizens who don't have authorization to reside in the United States. They may have crossed the U.S. border without inspection, or may have come into the country with a non-immigrant visa and didn't leave when their period of authorized stay ended (“overstay”), or didn’t show up for check-ins with ICE officers or for their court hearing.

    Under state and federal law, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for ongoing food and/or cash assistance.  They may qualify for assistance from the Consolidated Emergency Assistance Program (CEAP) if they meet eligibility requirements.

 Additional Information

• Alien is a term used in federal and state law to identify a foreign-born person who lives in the United States, has not naturalized, and is still a citizen of a foreign country.
• An alien number,also called “alien registration number”, “USCIS number”, “INS number”, or “A number”, is a unique identification number assigned by the Department of Homeland Security to each immigrant who:
  • Is legally admitted to the United States for permanent residency, or
  • Comes into contact with the agency (for adjustment of status, employment authorization, deportation proceedings, etc.).

The “A” number stays with an immigrant much like a Social Security Number, until the immigrant naturalizes. USCIS, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration Courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program - all track immigrant cases by the “A number”.

What is an Alien Registration Number Desk Aid has examples of immigration documents and correspondence with the “A” number.

• Immigration status is legal permission to remain in the U.S. under specific conditions defined by a visa category, or other visa document, e.g. Refugee Travel Letter. Customs and Border Protection inspects and admits the immigrant into the U.S. through the immigration status stated in the immigration documents. The immigrant receives an admission stamp showing a visa type and the amount of time for which they were admitted.

  Adjustment of Status is a procedure that changes (adjusts) a non-immigrant status to LPR status.

  Example: Mary enters the U.S. under the H-1B status, and while in the U.S., marries a U.S. citizen. She then adjusts her status from H-1B to LPR.
• Expired Documents versus Expired Status. Many immigration documents have expiration dates. Some immigrants may lose their immigration status when their immigration document expires.  
  • Qualified alien’s status doesn't expire when the immigration document expires (for example, expired LPR card, USCIS form I-551, doesn't mean expired LPR status). Exceptions are listed below:
    
    • Parolee’s status expires after the expiration date on their I-94 arrival/departure record or admission stamp.
    • Conditional permanent residents (two-year Conditional Residents) receive their LPR status based on a recent marriage to a U.S. citizen. Conditional LPRs have their green cards issued to them for two years only. At the end of two years, they must file a petition with USCIS to remove the condition. Ask a client with an expired conditional LPR card for proof of a pending petition, or application to waive the filing requirement. If no proof is provided, the client is undocumented.

• Qualified aliens may lose their immigration status if their deportation is ordered by an Immigration Judge;
• DACA individuals’ immigration status expires with the expiration date on their Employment Authorization Document or two years from the date of deferred action, unless renewed..

• Additional Information About Specific Documents:
  • USCIS form I-797, Notice of Action, may or may not have an expiration date. The USCIS form I-797 notifies clients that a certain action was taken on their case, such as filing fee received, application filed, the case is pending, a step in the process is completed, or status is approved.
  • USCIS form I-797, Approval Notice, for:
    • I-360, Self-Petition under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is, in most cases, issued after a "Prima Facie" notice. In this case, the I-797 indicates the petitioner submitted sufficient evidence to establish eligibility under VAWA. For cash, such notices verify the client is a qualified alien and their status doesn’t expire. For food, the client would be considered a non-qualified alien until their status adjusts to LPR.
    • I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, is an example of a completed initial step in the family-related immigration process. It doesn’t grant immigration status or a lawful presence to the beneficiary. It only establishes a relationship between petitioner and beneficiary. If the beneficiary doesn’t already have immigration status, the beneficiary is an undocumented immigrant.
    • If I-797, Approval Notice, states that USCIS granted or extended client’s immigration status, I-797 will contain a tear-off new I-94 attached to the bottom of the Notice.
  • Order from an Immigration Judge doesn't have an expiration date. It may be issued when an Immigration Judge decides to:
    • Grant an immigration status, such as asylum or withholding of deportation; or
    • Place the immigrant in removal proceedings to deport them from the U.S.
  • Receipt of Application for Asylum, USCIS form I-589, doesn't have an expiration date. USCIS is required to provide a decision within 180 days. Despite this requirement, many applicants may not receive a decision within the deadline. If the I-589 Receipt date is more than 180 days old, check the asylum application status at USCIS website, Case Status Online - Case Status Search using the receipt number on I-589.
  • Employment Authorization Document (EAD), form I-765, isn't a mandatory immigration document and DSHS staff can't require it as an eligibility condition. However, explain to the client that the EAD is a federally issued ID, and may be used as verification of the client’s lawful presence. EAD may be used as a verification that the individual:
    • Has applied for immigration status, the decision is pending, and the applicant is a lawfully present non-qualified alien, or
    • Was granted temporary immigration status, or
    • Has a current DACA status.

If the client doesn't have any verification of their current immigration status they are undocumented, unless they are a survivor of certain crimes.

• USCIS form I-942, Request for Reduced Fee, can be submitted to the USCIS at the same time clients apply for the immigration status and documents. When requesting a fee waiver, an immigrant must clearly demonstrate that they're low income and unable to pay filing fees. USCIS will accept:  
  
  • Federal income tax documents or a Verification of Non-filing,
  • Verification that annual household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, or
  • Any other proof verifying household’s low income.

If USCIS approves the fee waiver request, they will notify an applicant by the I-797, Notice of Action.

• Staff can check the status of an application to USCIS by using the USCIS website and entering the receipt number at the Case Status Online search.

Immigration questions should follow established procedures for submission through the Policy Clarification system, so that everyone can view the questions and responses.   

Revised April 20, 2026

Purpose:

Cash/Medical Programs Based on Citizenship/Alien Status

• Cash and Medical Decision Tree

Revised April 20, 2026

Purpose: 

This section explains how to determine an immigrant’s “date of entry” into the United States. It describes which groups of immigrants are subject to the five-year bar on receipt of federal means-tested benefits. Finally, it describes how to determine the date on which the five-year bar begins.

WAC 388-424-0006 Citizenship and immigration status - Date of Entry

• Clarifying Information and Worker Responsibilities

Clarifying Information - WAC 388-424-0006 

1. Determining whether a person has entered the U.S. before August 22, 1996.
   For many immigrants the date they entered the U.S. and became a “qualified alien” is on their I-94 card or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stamp in their passport, on a Refugee Transportation Letter or on their Permanent Resident card as a “Resident Since” date.

A person is not subject to the five-year bar for TANF if they entered the U.S. before August 22, 1996, even if they did not obtain a “qualified” immigration status until sometime after they entered. As long as the immigrant “continuously resided” in the U.S. from the earlier date, that date is considered the “date of entry”. “Continuously resided” means the immigrant maintained residence in the U.S. and only left the U.S. for short periods of time.

An applicant for federal Basic Food (SNAP) benefits, who became “qualified” on or after August 22, 1996, and who requires five years of residency for eligibility, can’t count time spent in the U.S. before they became a “qualified alien” toward the five-year bar requirement.

2. Immigrants who have the five-year bar.

   All immigrants, who are lawfully present in the U.S. and aren’t included in the statuses named in WAC 388-424-0006, Citizenship and immigration status—Date of entry have a five-year bar on receipt of Basic Food and TANF.

3. How to determine the date a Victim of Trafficking becomes a qualified alien.

   A victim of human trafficking becomes a “qualified alien” on the certification date stated on a Certification Letter for adults, or a Letter of Eligibility for minors from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) or the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP). The  letter will state when the client can start receiving benefits, which is the eligibility date.

4. How to determine the date an asylee becomes a qualified alien.

   The date an asylee becomes a “qualified alien” is the date:

   • Stated on an Asylum Approval Letter, from a USCIS Asylum Office, as the date asylum was granted under §208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

   • Immigration Judge decided to grant asylum under §208 of the INA, if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has NOT reserved its right to appeal the decision. If DHS has reserved its right to appeal the decision, the eligibility date is the 31st day from the date on the Immigration Judge Order if DHS did not ultimately appeal the case.

5. How to determine the date a battered immigrant becomes a “qualified alien."
   The date a battered alien becomes “qualified” is the date of the approval (or notice of prima facie case) of a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) petition or the date that the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse petitioned for the family visa application. These dates aren’t the same as the date the immigrant was granted lawful permanent residence and the date doesn't appear on the Permanent Resident card ("green card").

6. Immigrants who are exempt from the five-year bar.

   Immigrants exempt from the five-year bar due to immigration status are listed in WAC 388-424-0006, Citizenship and Immigration status—Date of entry. Immigrants with a status of refugee, asylee, withholding of deportation/removal, Cuban/Haitian entrant, Special Immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan, and Amerasian remain exempt after they’ve adjusted to lawful permanent resident status. The “category” or “class” code on their Permanent Resident (“green”) Card identifies under which provision of law they came into the U.S.  For more information on immigration documentation, status codes, benefit eligibility and step-by-step process, please see immigration desk aids located on the CSD website.

Worker Responsibilities - WAC 388-424-0006 

1. Always ask the client for their Alien Number or Alien Registration number. It’s a unique number assigned by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to each immigrant admitted to the United States, or who came into contact with the agency (Example: application for asylum). It usually begins with an “A” followed by seven, eight or nine digit numbers and is listed on all documents and/or DHS correspondence. Enter the Alien Number and Date of Entry in corresponding ACES 3G fields.

See the VERIFICATION chapter for further guidance.

For more information about verifying an asylee’s entry date, see “Asylum Documentation” under WAC 388-466-0005, Clarifying Information.

Revised August 24, 2023

Purpose: 

The purpose of this section is to explain the special situations that affect immigrants when there are requirements for a Social Security number (SSN) in federal and state benefit programs.

WAC 388-424-0009 Citizenship and alien status - Social Security Number (SSN) Requirements

• Clarifying Information and Worker Responsibilities

The rules and information below supplement information provided in the SSN Chapter (WAC 388-476-0005 ).

Clarifying Information -  WAC 388-424-0009

1. Some immigrants who are "qualified" and some who are "non-qualified" (see WAC 388-424-0001 ) are not immediately eligible for employment authorization and therefore may not be issued an SSN:
   1. For example, most political asylum applicants who have a notice that their political asylum application has been received and is being processed must wait six months or longer before they can apply to work in the U.S.
   2. Abused immigrants whose spouse has filled out an I-130 or who have a Notice of Prima Facie eligibility may sometimes have to wait for months or years before they are authorized to work legally.
2. Some immigrants who do not have work authorization can sometimes get a non-work SSN (see Worker Responsibilities #1 below), but staff in most Social Security Administration (SSA) offices will deny these applications.
3. Abused immigrants who are filing a petition under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) will often receive a Notice of Prima Facie eligibility that does not specifically list their children, even though the children are listed in the original application. Children of abused immigrants are considered eligible for benefits to the same extent as the primary applicant, even though they will often be unable to get a non-work SSN.
4. SSA staff are not familiar with many immigration documents that are used to show “qualified alien” status (such as the Notice of Prima Facie eligibility under VAWA) and will often not accept these documents as proof of lawful status (see Table 5, page 62 in the NILC Guide in Appendix II for a list of documents). In addition, new SSA requirements that immigrants have evidence of date of birth and identity may prevent many immigrants who have lost their documents (often as a result of fleeing persecution or escaping domestic violence) from getting a non-work number.
5. Sometimes a client may choose not to provide an SSN (and consequently be excluded from the AU) but the Department inadvertently learns of their SSN (for example, through a pay stub the client provides to verify income). In such cases we continue to honor the individual client’s wish to be excluded from the assistance unit.
   Alternatively, a client may choose not to provide an SSN midway through the process of applying for benefits, or at a recertification, even if they have already provided it. The guiding principle is that we will honor client choice. A client may choose to be excluded from the assistance unit by not providing an SSN at any point.
   However, we may still use a valid SSN in our possession for verifying income and resources. Staff should explain to the immigrant that the SSN will only be used to verify income and resource information and will not be released to federal immigration authorities. Sometimes, a client may not have a valid SSN but is attempting to provide evidence of income or resources to comply with Department requirements – they should be allowed to remove the SSN from these documents and should not be discouraged from providing proof of income.

Worker Responsibilities - WAC 388-424-0009

1. If the client is applying for a federal program which requires an SSN and a current and valid SSN is not available, the Department is responsible for providing the client with assistance in applying for an SSN. (If the client needs financial assistance to complete this process, the Department will assist as well - follow procedures in the Verification Chapter, Worker Responsibilities #9)
2. If the client has already tried to apply at the local Social Security Administration (SSA) office and has been denied, the Department should issue benefits (if the client is otherwise eligible) and, if the customer requests our assistance, take the following steps:
   1. Create a 14-517 on Department letterhead which specifies the names of all family members applying for benefits and requests that the SSA issue a non-work SSN for each. The 14-517 must explain that the SSNs are being requested so that the clients can participate in the federal programs for which they are eligible. List all programs which apply. See Appendix VI for link to a sample SSN request letter.   
   2. If a client is unable to get either a regular or non-work SSN, request an Exception to Rule (ETR) and continue benefits until client is work-authorized. Also ask the client to re-apply for an SSN once they are eligible for and has received an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from USCIS.
   3. If the client is able to get a non-work SSN, document the number in ACES and remind the client that this SSN cannot be used to work.
3. Some persons in a household may not be a part of the assistance unit (AU) which is applying for assistance (for example, undocumented parents of citizen children). In such a case, SSNs for those non-AU members are not a requirement for processing the application of the applying AU.

Revised April 20, 2026

Purpose:

WAC 388-424-0007 Citizenship and alien status - Armed Services or Veteran Status

• Clarifying Information and Worker Responsibilities

Clarifying Information - WAC 388-424-0007

A veteran is a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service of the U.S., who fulfilled the minimum active duty service requirements or 24 months of continuous active service, whichever is less, and was honorably discharged or released. Veterans also include men and women who died while on active duty in the U.S. armed forces or forces under U.S. command. For purposes of determining a surviving spouse or dependent child's eligibility for benefits, a person who died after being released from active duty in the U.S. armed forces is also a veteran.

Worker Responsibilities - WAC 388-424-0007

Obtain evidence of armed services or veteran status. For those veterans who are Hmong or Highland Lao who fought with the U.S. in Southeast Asia, have the veteran or family member sign the following statement:

I declare, under penalty of perjury, that I was a Hmong or Highland Laotian tribe member when the tribe assisted the U.S. military during the Vietnam era (August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975).

Signature

Date

Revised July 8, 2025

Purpose:

WAC 388-424-0008 Citizenship and alien status - Work Quarters

Clarifying Information

Sponsored immigrants can be exempted from sponsor deeming when they have, or can be credited with, 40 quarters of work under Title II of the Social Security Act. (See WAC 388-450-0156)

The chart on the SSA website shows the amount of earnings needed to qualify for each SSA work quarter of coverage from 1978 through the present.

When there are 40 or more countable quarters based on verification from SSA, staff must review benefit history to determine whether the earner received federal means-tested benefits – SNAP, TANF, RCA, or Medicaid – during any of the quarters. If so, subtract those quarters from the total to determine whether the 40 quarter requirement has been met.