IT'S SAFE FOR YOU TO GET YOUR FAMILY THE CARE THEY NEED!
Programs like Children's Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP (food stamps), WIC, and School Breakfast & Lunch help your children be healthy. Enrolling your children in these programs will NOT harm your chances of becoming a U.S. Citizen or put you at risk of deportation.
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We are a team of community organizations in Texas who want to make sure families know their rights and can make the best decisions about using public programs.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: If my child receives health or nutrition benefits, will that make it more difficult for me to get a green card?
A: No. Health and nutrition programs are not considered in green card applications, except for long-term care (like a nursing home) that the government pays for. Health or food benefits that your children or other family members get are different from benefits that you receive yourself. Including your name on your child’s application does NOT mean that you have applied for benefits for yourself.
Q: Will information that I put on an application for my child be used for immigration enforcement?
A: No. Any information you give on the application will be used only to determine your child’s eligibility and to run the program. This information cannot be shared with immigration enforcement.
Q: Do I have to give my information when I apply for benefits for my child?
A: You will have to provide some of your information. The application requires income information for everyone in your family, even if they are not applying for benefits for themselves. However, you will not have to provide a social security number or information about your immigration status if you are only applying for benefits for your children. You can leave those sections blank.
Q: Will I need to repay the government for benefits used by my U.S. Citizen child?
A: No. If your child is eligible for benefits, your family will not need to repay those benefits in the future.
Q: What if I am undocumented?
A: If you are undocumented and applying for your child or another family member, do not provide any information about your immigration status.
Instead, you may say or write, “I am not applying for this program for myself.”
Q: How is my privacy protected?
A: Federal and state laws generally protect the privacy of people who apply for or receive public benefits. Applications for public programs should not ask for information about the immigration status of people who are not applying to get benefits for themselves. Benefit agencies may share information with other government agencies only for purposes of running their programs, with limited exceptions. You should provide only the information necessary in the application.
Q: Will receiving COVID-19 or pandemic assistance make it more difficult for me to get a green card?
A: No. The only kind of assistance that might be considered in your application for a green card is ongoing cash assistance and long-term care (like a nursing home) paid for by the government. Receiving COVID-19 and short-term pandemic assistance will not affect your immigration status or immigration application. This includes COVID-19 testing, treatment, vaccines, stimulus checks, one-time financial assistance, P-EBT, and child tax credit.
These answers provide accurate information. However, they are not legal advice. If you need legal advice, talk to a lawyer.
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