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Minnesota Family Investment Program Minnesota House Research Department Page 9 Category of Noncitizen Eligible for federally funded cash portion? Eligible for state-funded cash portion? Battered noncitizen who is the spouse or child of a citizen or lawful permanent resident, and who entered U.S. on or after 8/22/96 Only after being in U.S. for five years or if certain criteria are met11 If federal funds can’t be used, state funds may be used if certain criteria are met Noncitizens paroled into U.S.12 for at least one year, before 8/22/96 Yes N/A Noncitizens paroled into U.S. for at least one year, on or after 8/22/96 Only after being in U.S. for five years or if certain criteria are met If federal funds can’t be used, state funds may be used if certain criteria are met Noncitizens paroled into U.S. for less than one year; persons granted temporary permission to remain in U.S. (e.g., temporary protected status,13 special immigrant juvenile status, lawful temporary residents); noncitizens applying for asylum, applicants for lawful permanent resident status; DACA recipients; American Indians born in Canada; people with deferred action; deterred enforced departure; and those under an order of supervision or stay of deportation who have work authorization No Yes Noncitizen eligibility for MFIP food benefits. MFIP benefits also include a food portion that is funded with federal SNAP dollars. (See Benefits, page 16.) As part of the 1996 federal welfare reform act, noncitizen eligibility for the federal SNAP program was severely limited; however, the 2002 Farm Bill restored eligibility for many noncitizens. Because MFIP uses federal SNAP funding, these noncitizen eligibility restrictions apply to MFIP. However, when the MFIP law was originally enacted the state opted to make lawfully present noncitizen families who meet all other MFIP requirements eligible for the food portion, and to use only state monies to pay for the MFIP food portion for those families for whom federal SNAP funds may not be used.

11 The criteria that allow for federal benefit eligibility include persons who have: (1) active duty military service or who are honorably discharged veterans and their spouses and unmarried dependent children (this does not include National Guard service); or (2) 40 qualifying work credits. 12 A person is “paroled into the U.S.” when the U.S. Justice Department uses its discretion to grant temporary admission to the United States for humanitarian, legal, or medical reasons. 13 Temporary protected status is granted to a person living in the United States who is from a designated country where conditions make it unsafe for the person to return.