Examples of ineligible immigrants who have legal permission to live in the United States (and most are eligible for work permits):

• Pending or approved U visas (victim of violence)

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or “Dreamers” 

• Deferred Action for medical reasons

• Pending political asylum

• Temporary Protected Status (TPS)

• Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status

• Humanitarian parole status, with less than 365 days of parole.

• Other immigrants with pending legal status and/or work authorization.

Note: Nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Iraq, Afghanistan and Ukraine who have humanitarian parole, pending asylum and other limited statuses may be eligible for SNAP or TANF.

Examples of immigrants who are ineligible until they have had their status for 5 years, even though they have green cards or other federal “qualified” status:

• Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), 

• Humanitarian parolees (granted parole for 365 days or more),

• Certain battered immigrants. 

Note: For immigrants in these statuses, there is no 5-year wait in SNAP for children under age 18, adults who receive a disability-based benefit or LPRs with 10 years of countable work history. There is also no 5 year wait for persons who entered the US as refugees or were granted asylum before getting their LPR status. And there is no 5 year wait for TAFDC for battered immigrants and their dependents.