Nonqualified Noncitizens
 
Policy
Verification
Legal Authorities
When to Use VLP
How to Use VLP
When to Use VIS
Accessing the VIS System
Initial VIS Queries
Additional VIS Queries
Additional VIS Responses and Response Codes
Closing Records in VIS
Searching the VIS System
Exiting the VIS System
Maintaining VIS Users (VIS Supervisors Only)
Monitoring VIS Workloads (VIS Supervisors Only)
Information on this page refers to the Nutrition Assistance program Information on this page refers to the Cash Assistance program
This subject includes a list of noncitizens who are not eligible for NA and CA.
Policy
A nonqualified noncitizen may have entered the United States (U.S.) either with or without United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) documentation. Nonqualified noncitizens are not eligible for NA or CA because they do not meet the required noncitizen status.
Though nonqualified noncitizens are not eligible for benefits for themselves, a nonqualified noncitizen is allowed and encouraged to apply for benefits for their family members who are U.S. citizens or qualified noncitizens. The income and resources of a nonqualified noncitizen may be used to determine the benefit amount for the entire budgetary unit.
When a nonqualified noncitizen listed on the application is not applying for NA or CA benefits, one of the following should be selected for that noncitizen:
The drop-down option ‘Do not want to give information’ when asked for immigration status on the HEAplus online application.
The ‘I do not want to provide this information’ checkbox when asked for immigration status on a paper application.
NOTE Immigration status is required for noncitizen participants applying for NA or CA benefits.
A nonqualified noncitizen with USCIS documentation has legally entered the U.S. temporarily with no intention of abandoning their foreign residence. These nonqualified noncitizens do not meet the Arizona residency requirements for eligibility.
A nonqualified noncitizen without USCIS documentation, also known as an undocumented noncitizen(g), may or may not have entered the U.S. without the knowledge or permission of USCIS.
NOTE Citizens of either the Marshall Islands or the Federated States of Micronesia may work and establish residence in the United States. These noncitizens do not need USCIS permission to legally enter and live in the U.S. and may not have USCIS documentation.
It is a violation of immigration law when a noncitizen is residing in the U.S. without the knowledge or permission of USCIS. FAA is required to report any confirmed violations of this immigration law. Violations of this law are confirmed when any of the following occurs:
The noncitizen voluntarily self-declares that they are residing in the U.S. illegally
The noncitizen provides Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents verifying violation of USCIS law
NOTE FAA does not report unconfirmed violations of immigration law.
The following paragraph contains important information!!FAA staff can be charged with a class two misdemeanor when a confirmed violation of immigration law is not reported.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a U.S. immigration policy that allows noncitizens to apply for a deferral from deportation when they were brought to the U.S. as minors and still reside in the U.S. unlawfully. DACA noncitizens, often called Dreamers, reside in the U.S. with the knowledge of the USCIS and are not reported to ICE.
Noncitizen mandatory participants who are not applying for themselves or do not provide noncitizen verification are disqualified participants. The income and expenses of disqualified participants may be counted fully or partially to the remaining participants in the budgetary unit. (See Disqualified NA Participants Effect on the NA Benefit Amount, Whose Income Effects the CA Benefit Amount, and Disqualified Participants for details.)
Documents a participant may have to identify that they are a nonqualified noncitizen include, and are not limited to, any of the following:
I-95 Crewman’s Landing Permit
I-185 Nonresident Alien Canadian Border Crossing Card
I-186 Nonresident Alien Mexican Border Crossing Card
I-360 Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant (This form is also used to apply for the Special Immigrant Juveniles status)
I-444 Mexican Border Visitor Permit
I-586 Nonresident Alien Border Crossing Card
I-688A Employment Authorization
I-688 Temporary Resident
I-689 Fee Receipt
I-821 Application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
I-821D Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
DSP150 Border Crossing Card
Student Visa
Noncitizens with one of the following documents may have either qualified or nonqualified status based on the annotations on the document:
The admission annotation on the I-94 or I-95 document determines the noncitizen's status.
The Provision of Law annotated on the I-688B Employment Authorization card determines the noncitizen's status.
The Provision of Law annotated on the I-766 Employment Authorization card determines the noncitizen's status.
When the annotation on one of the three documents listed above is not included in the list of qualified noncitizens, the participant is considered a nonqualified noncitizen. (See Qualified Noncitizens for a list of annotations identifying qualified noncitizens. Use CTRL+F to search the page for the card number.)
Verification
See the policy section above for specific verification documents.
Legal Authorities
last revised 08/15/2022