Page 7
Title 7: SNAP Page 3 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter I: Specific Households and Participants Households with Alien Members Revised February 13, 2026 Definitions “Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)” means the former Immigration and Naturalization Service of the U.S. Department of Justice. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has assumed the duties previously done by the INS. “Immigration status” and “alien status” mean the same thing for SNAP. “Ineligible alien” means an alien who does not have an immigration status or meet some other criterion that allows the alien to participate in SNAP. The term “ineligible alien” includes legal aliens who do not meet criteria under SNAP policy as well as undocumented aliens. “Lawfully residing” means lawfully present and maintaining a principal residence in the U.S. “Legal permanent resident (LPR)” means an alien admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident. Lawful permanent residents can legally live permanently in the United States. They may be issued immigrant visas by the Department of State overseas or be adjusted to permanent resident from another immigrant status. “Means-tested program” means a program that uses income and resource guidelines to determine eligibility. SNAP, FIP, Medicaid, and SSI are examples of means-tested programs. Social Security and unemployment compensation are not means-tested programs. “Naturalization” means the legal process through which a person who is not born a U.S. citizen becomes a citizen. “Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE)” means the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services verification system HHS must use to verify the validity of documents provided by aliens applying for SNAP benefits. “Sponsor” means a person who signed an Affidavit of Support, Form I-864, or similar agreement on behalf of an alien as a condition of the alien’s entry or admission into the United States as a permanent resident.