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“Helping People Live Better Lives”

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Q7: When does the 5-year waiting period begin? A7: The 5-year waiting period begins on the date the alien obtains status as a qualified alien or enters the U.S. in a qualifying status.

Q8: Will individuals who adjust from a status not eligible for SNAP to lawful permanent resident status now need to wait 5 years after adjusting to lawful permanent resident status to receive SNAP? A8: Not necessarily. Aliens who adjust status to lawful permanent resident from one of the groups exempt from the 5-year waiting period in PRWORA are not required to wait for 5 years after becoming a lawful permanent resident. The chart below shows alien groups and whether they are subject to the 5-year waiting period after adjusting their status to lawful permanent resident. Alien Group Pre-Status Adjustment Subject to a 5-year Waiting Period After Adjusted Status Refugees No Individuals Granted Asylum No Deportation Withheld No Cuban and Haitian Entrants No Amerasians No Compacts of Free Association Citizens No American Indians Born Abroad No Hmong or Highland Laotian Tribal Members No Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants No Certain Afghan Nationals Granted Parole Between July 31, 2021, and September 30, 2023 No Certain Ukrainian Nationals Granted Parole Between February 24, 2022, and September 30, 2024 No Victims of Severe Trafficking No Conditional Entrants Yes Battered Aliens Yes Individuals Granted Parole for a Period of at Least One Year Yes Individuals in one of the above "Yes" groups are not subject to the 5-year waiting period if the person: • Is under 18 years old; • Has 40 qualifying work quarters; • Is blind or disabled; • Was lawfully residing in the U.S. and 65 or older on August 22, 1996; or • Has a U.S. military connection.