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Page | 50 The member whose citizenship is in question is ineligible to participate until proof of U.S. citizenship is obtained unless the case is expedited. (Verification of non-citizenship status may be postponed in order to meet the expedited processing standards.)

A non-citizen must have completed all of the requirements for citizenship and received a certification of naturalization. Citizenship acquired by naturalization can be verified in the county where naturalization occurred. Each county clerk of courts has an index of all persons naturalized in that county. (Other states also have similar arrangements.) If the person's record cannot be located or the county of naturalization is not known, the Specialist should contact USCIS because they maintain an index of all naturalized persons.

As a last resort, if the household cannot obtain any of these verifications and can reasonably explain why verification is not available, an affidavit can be used. The affidavit must contain the signer's address and telephone number, and the SNAP case name and number. This form must be signed under penalty of perjury by a person who is a U.S. citizen and must declare that the person in question is also a U.S. citizen. Signers must be advised that the affidavit is a sworn statement and that they should certify only those facts of which they have personal knowledge. The following statement should be used for these situations:

“I declare under penalty of perjury that _____________________ is a United States citizen. It is my understanding that intentionally giving false information to help this person get SNAP benefits may result in a fine, imprisonment, or both.”

3330 ELIGIBLITY CRITERIA – NON-CITIZEN

An alien (non-citizen) is anyone living in the United States who is not a U.S. citizen. If verification of alien status is not provided within normal processing times, the eligibility of the remaining household members must be determined. The individual whose status is in question is ineligible to participate until the USCIS documentation is received, however the individual’s income and expenses will be prorated, and all of his/her resources considered available to any remaining household members. If verification is later received, and the individual is eligible, the case must be acted on as a reported change in household circumstances. For expedited cases, if the individual states he/she is an eligible alien, verification may be postponed under expedited services regulations.

To be eligible an individual must meet one of the alien statuses identified in the charts on the following pages. If an alien is not listed in the chart below, they are not eligible for SNAP benefits. This includes, but is not limited to, alien visitors, tourists, diplomats, and students who enter the United States temporarily with no intention of abandoning their residence in a foreign country.

Individuals should be matched against all statuses before being coded as an ineligible alien. Individuals may be eligible under more than one category. If the individual meets any eligible category, then the individual is eligible. If the eligibility status expires, each eligible category must be reviewed to see if that individual is eligible under another status.