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As a Green Card Holder, “Legal Permanent Resident”, you may be able to receive many public benefits from New York State and the Federal Government. In some cases, you are entitled to receive these benefits under some circumstances without residency or work requirements. For other public benefits, there may be income requirements, which you must meet in order to receive the benefit. Please consult a social worker or an attorney to learn more about these requirements and to find out whether you satisfy these requirements to receive the benefits.

PUBLIC BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO ALL LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS (GREEN CARD):

• Emergency Medicaid
• Short-Term Disaster Relief
• School Meals and Other Nutrition Programs
• Public Health Assistance for Immunizations and to treat communicable diseases
• Foster Care and Adoption Assistance
• Some Community Service Programs needed to protect life or safety (e.g. short term shelter and housing, assistance for homeless, violence prevention programs, community nutritional programs, and medical and public health services)
• Some Student Assistance Programs
• Participation and Head Start Programs
• Programs under the Job Training Partnership Act

IF YOU RECEIVED YOUR GREEN CARD BEFORE AUGUST 22, 1996,

YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING FEDERAL PUBLIC BENEFITS:

• Federal Food Stamps
• Supplemental Security Income (“SSI” is a federal cash assistance program for the blind, elderly, and disabled)
• Medicaid
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (“TANF” provides assistance and services to low-income families with children)
• Title XX Social Services (Services for elderly and childcare)

YOU MAY ALSO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FOLLOWING NEW YORK PUBLIC BENEFITS:

• New York State Assistance Program (“FAP”)
• Safety Net Assistance (“SNA” was formally known as “Home Relief”)
• Family Assistance (“FA”)

IF YOU RECEIVED YOUR GREEN CARD AFTER AUGUST 22, 1996,

YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING FEDERAL PUBLIC BENEFITS, BUT ONLY AFTER FIVE YEARS SINCE YOU ENTERED THE U.S.:

• Federal Food Stamps
• Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”)
• Medicaid
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (“TANF”)
• Title XX Services

YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FOLLOWING NEW YORK PUBLIC BENEFITS:

• Safety Net Assistance (“SNA”)

But Only After Five Years Since You Entered the U.S. for:

• Family Assistance (“FA”)

YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEW YORK STATE FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (“FAP”)

• In order to qualify for TANF/ SNA/ FA benefits, you must also satisfy New York State residency requirements.