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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 15

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 36 Chapter 15 Noncitizens, Refugees, and Citizenship

15.4.1.B Verified Immigration Status Immigration status must be verified for WV WORKS, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicaid benefits. If any member of the household is a noncitizen, a copy of the front and back of the immigration identification documentation must be forwarded to the SAVE Coordinator. The documentation is verified by the USCIS through automated or manual methods. All USCIS responses are sent to the requesting Worker with information regarding the noncitizen’s eligibility for benefits. However, when the automated responses reads “Initiate Secondary Verification,” an email is sent to the Worker advising that an additional request has been sent for information. When the response is received from SAVE, the information will be forwarded to the Worker. 15.4.2 40 QUALIFYING QUARTERS OF COVERAGE FOR SNAP Only certain excepted classes of qualified noncitizens are eligible for SNAP. This exception includes noncitizens who are lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence and who have worked or can be credited with 40 Qualifying Quarters. Under certain conditions, the Qualifying Quarters of parents or spouses can be added to the noncitizen’s record to achieve the needed 40 Qualifying Quarters. Each noncitizen immigrant in the household is considered an applicant. Qualifying Quarters earned after December 31, 1996, cannot be counted if the noncitizen spouse or parent received certain federal means-tested public benefits during the period for which the Qualifying Quarters were credited.

NOTE: A Consent of Release of Information from Social Security Number (SSN) holders other than the applicant must be obtained.