Noncitizen Benefit Eligibility Under PRWORA (1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act) Benefits for qualified immigrants arriving on or before August 22, 1996 (Pre-Enactment) Receipient SSI (1) Food Stamps Medicaid TANF (2) State/Local Public Benefits Qualified immigrants Eligible (3) Eligible State Option State Option State Option Exempted Group: Qualified immigrants; with 40 quarters of work Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Exempted Group: Qualified immigrants; military personnel and their families Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Exempted Group: Qualified immigrants; Refugees/Asylees Eligible for first 7 years Eligible for first 7 years Eligible for first 7 years; state option afterward Eligible for first 5 years; state option afterward Eligible for first 5 years; state option afterward Benefits for qualified immigrants arriving after August 22, 1996 (Post-Enactment) Receipient SSI Food Stamps Medicaid TANF State/Local Public Benefits Qualified immigrants Ineligible Barred for first five years (except children and persons receiving disability benefits) Barred for first 5 years; state option afterward Barred for first 5 years; state option afterward State Option Exempted Group: Qualified immigrants; with 40 quarters of work Barred for first 5 years; eligible afterward Barred for first 5 years Barred for first 5 years Barred for first 5 years Eligible Exempted Group: Qualified immigrants; military personnel and their families Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Eligible Exempted Group: Qualified immigrants; Refugees/Asylees Eligible for first 7 years Eligible for first 7 years Eligible for first 7 years; state option afterward Eligible for first 5 years; state option afterward Eligible for first 5 years; state option afterward Benefits for unqualified immigrants Receipient SSI Food Stamps Medicaid TANF State/Local Public Benefits Unqualified immigrants Ineligible (4,5) Ineligible (5) Eligible for emergency services only (4) Ineligible Ineligible (6) Source: adapted from Wendy Zimmerman and Karen Tumlin. 1999. "Patchwork Policies: State Assistance for Immigrants under Welfare Reform." Washington, DC: The Urban Institute. Notes: (1) SSI= Supplemental Security Income (2) TANF= Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (3) Qualified immigrants receiving SSI on 8/22/96 are eligible. All qualified immigrants lawfully residing in the United States on 8/22/96 who are or become disabled are also eligible. All other qualified immigrants are ineligible unless exempted. (4) Immigrants formerly considered Permanently Residing Under Color of Law (PRUCOL) who were receiving SSI on 8/22/96 are eligible for SSI and for Medicaid in states where Medicaid eligibility is linked to SSI eligibility. (5) American Indians born in Canada and certain other tribal members born outside the United States are eligible. For the Food Stamp Program, Hmong and Lao tribe members (and their spouses and children) are eligible. (6) States may provide state and local public benefits to unqualified immigrants only if they pass a law after 8/22/96.