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 Social
Security
Supplemental Security Income For Noncitizens
( Informaton
provided by Social Security Administration)
New
laws change the way we pay Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits
to noncitizens. The new laws apply to people who are already receiving
SSI benefits and to people who are applying for benefits. What the Laws
Say Under the new laws, only United States (U.S) citizens and nationals
and certain noncitizens can get SSI benefits.
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What
the Laws Say
Under the new laws, only United States (U.S) citizens and nationals
and certain noncitizens can get SSI benefits. |
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Who
may get SSI on or after August 22, 1996?
· Citizens or nationals of the U.S.
· Non citizens who were already getting SSI on August 22, 1996, may
continue to get benefits until we review their case (see "When Will
Your Benefits Stop?")
· Noncitizens who have been lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent
residence and have a total of 40 qualifying work credits. -
- Work credits earned by your spouse or parent may
also count toward the 40 credits. These work credits count for SSI
eligibility, but not for Social Security benefit purposes.
- Work credits earned after December 31, 1996, cannot
be counted if the noncitizens, spouse, or parent received certain
types of federally funded benefits based on limited income and resources
during that period.
· Certain noncitizens who are active duty members, or who are honorably
discharged veterans, of the U.S. Armed Forces, their spouses, and
unmarried dependent children.
· Certain other noncitizens may be eligible for five years after:
- the date of admission as refugee under Section 207
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA);
- the date granted asylum under Section 208 of the INA;
or - the date deportation is withheld under Section 243(h) of the
INA.
Your local Social Security office can tell you whether you are eligible.
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Proof
of Your Status Is Required
If you file a new application for SSI benefits, you must give us proof
of your U.S. citizenship or noncitizen status. Noncitizens who have
served in the U.S. Armed Forces may also need to give us proof of
military service. Although procedures have not been finalized, here
are some examples of the kind of information you may need to provide:
· As proof of citizenship-a U.S. birth certificate, passport, or naturalization
certificate;
· As proof of your noncitizen status-an unexpired Form I-94 or I-551
from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS); or
· As proof of military service-U.S. military discharge papers (DD
Form 214) showing honorable discharge-not based on your noncitizen
status.
If you were receiving SSI as of August 22, 1996, you may also need
to give us proof of citizenship of noncitizen status. |
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When
Will Your Benefits Stop?
For noncitizens, who are getting SSI as of August 22, 1996, the new
law requires that we look at your case within 12 months to make sure
that you are eligible under the new law. During February and March
1997, we will send you a letter telling you about the law and what
you have to do to prove that you are in one of the eligibility categories.
If you are unable to prove that you are in one of the eligibility
categories, we will send you a second letter telling you when your
SSI benefits will stop. If you can receive SSI benefits for only five
years because of your particular noncitizen status, we will send you
a letter telling you when the five-year period ends. We will also
send you a letter before we stop your benefits.
When we send you a letter about stopping your benefits, we will tell
you how to appeal our decision and how to have your benefits continued
during your appeal. |
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Information
About Medicaid
If you are getting Medicaid based on your SSI, your Medicaid should
continue as long as you are eligible for SSI. If we find that you
are not eligible for SSI under the new law, the letter we send you
about that decision will tell you more about Medicaid. |
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You
Can File A New Claim
If your SSI benefits stop because you are not an eligible noncitizen,
you can apply again. Contact us right away if you become a U.S.citizen,
your immigration status changes and you become an eligible noncitizen,
or you have gained 40 qualifying work credits (because of your work
and/or that of a spouse or parent). You will need to provide your
naturalization certificate or other documents that show your immigration
status. |
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If
you have a Sponsor
When you entered the U.S., you may have had someone sign as agreement
to provide support for you. This agreement is called an affidavit
of support and the person who signed it is called your sponsor.
If you have a sponsor, we generally will count his or her income and
resources (and his/her spouse's) as your income and resources for
a certain period of years from the time you arrive in the U.S.
Your local Social Security office can give you more information about
these rules and how they apply in your case. |
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Becoming
A Citizen
You can get more information about becoming a citizen by writing or
visiting a local Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) office
or call 1-800-870-3676 to get an application for naturalization (N-400
Form). |
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For More Information About SSI
You can get more information 24 hours a day by calling Social Security's
toll-free telephone number 1-800-772-1213. If you want to speak to
a representative, you should call between the hours of 7 a.m. and
7 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Our lines are busiest early in the
week and early in the month, so it is best to call at other times.
Please have your Social Security number handy when you call. Our representatives
can give you the address and telephone number of your local Social
Security office if you would like to visit the office.
If you have a touch-tone phone, recorded information and services
are available 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays.
People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our toll-free "TTY"
number, 1-800-325-0778 between 7a.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday through
Friday.
The Social Security Administration treats all calls confidentially-whether
they are made to our toll-free numbers or to one of our offices. We
also want to be sure that you receive accurate and courteous service.
That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor
some incoming and outgoing telephone calls. |
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