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Title 7: SNAP Page 2 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter I: Specific Households and Participants Households with Alien Members Revised February 13, 2026 Definitions Definitions Legal reference: 7 CFR part 273 “Affidavit of support” is a document used to legally obligate one or more people to financially support an alien who immigrates to the U.S. “Alien” means any person who is not classified as a United States citizen. “Date of entry” or “date of admission” means the date established by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as the date the alien was admitted for permanent residence. “Eligible alien” means an alien who has a specific immigration status and who meets criteria set under law for participation in the SNAP program. The term “eligible alien,” as used by the SNAP program, pertains only to eligibility for participation in the SNAP program. It does not relate to an alien’s legal right to be in the United States. “Five-Year bar” refers to the five-year period Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) must wait before they can receive federal means-tested public benefits, unless they are exempt. SNAP is a federal means-tested public benefit. “Immigrant” means any alien in the United States, except one legally admitted under specific nonimmigrant categories. “Nonimmigrant” means an alien who seeks temporary entry to the United States for a specific purpose. The alien has a permanent residence abroad and is in the U.S. for a purpose other than to make the U.S. a permanent home. Nonimmigrants include:  Foreign government officials  Visitors for business and for pleasure  Aliens in transit through the United States  Treaty traders and investors  Students  International representatives  Temporary workers and trainees  Representatives of foreign information media  Exchange visitors  People engaged to be married to U.S. citizens  Intracompany transferees  NATO officials  Religious workers Most nonimmigrants can be accompanied or joined by spouses and unmarried minor (or dependent) children.