Important question about WIC and food stamp

[jundp 191]

Not knowing the circumstances which are relevant to the OP, it seems as though we shouldn't pass judgment...but most will.

To the OP: there is no shame in getting WIC and/or food stamps if you are currently in need. It is when people abuse the system that makes others so angry. Many people have used public assistance for short periods of time until they no longer needed it and there's no shame in that.

[Niels Bohr 72]

No shame. My parents received benefits when I was under 18. All my life prior to receiving my degree were all government support.

[Nizzy 1]

I hear you on that one. I lived 4 states apart from my family, working 2 jobs to make enough sometimes for food on my own table and to sponsor my hubby to get over here myself. Seen too many people in my above post that ate crab legs and steak on FS while I worked 2 jobs and ate ramen noodles and had to strictly budget.

Dont even get me started on those that had FS, denied yogurt to a kid and bought beer with cash.

I had to take the first job that was offered to me when I moved here and the shift was until 10, sometimes 11 pm which meant we had to re-arrange our schedules just so one of us would be home to watch our son. I had to do 10 hour shifts...lord it was bad...but I made it through...and I feel you when it comes to Ramen noodles...I stand behind those ppl paying with FS and they are buying anything they want, and you are right it's like steaks and expensive seafood....and they have like 4-5 kids who look like they are barely a year apart from one another...damn I just got myself riled up again...

[jundp 191]

But not every person who uses WIC or FS is like those you mention here. And it's really unfair to the OP to continue with these comments when he came here to ask a valid and sincere question.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

The answer is neither program, WIC or foodstamps will be bad for them in the eyes of USCIS.

Asking this question in Off Topic has led to a lot of garbage from the holier than thou crowd, to the OP just ignore it. Good luck with your child!

[Nizzy 1]

I am not holier than anyone...I would not have hesitated to take it if they had given it to me...hence the reason I am bitter...sorry, didn't mean to vent here...

[ready4ONE 5,400]

I am not holier than anyone...I would not have hesitated to take it if they had given it to me...hence the reason I am bitter...sorry, didn't mean to vent here...

No problem, I figured there would be a bit of backlash due to the post being put in Off Topic. I have seen people using food stamps to buy incredibly unhealthy things too, but the truth is, while we are working we are paying in to these programs. If we qualify while working, or when we are out of work, they are there as a resource.

[Eveline 9]

The answer is neither program, WIC or foodstamps will be bad for them in the eyes of USCIS.

Asking this question in Off Topic has led to a lot of garbage from the holier than thou crowd, to the OP just ignore it. Good luck with your child!

Even if SHE is the USC?

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Even if SHE is the USC?

No, they can both apply, and if qualified, accept food stamps and or WIC. Being the USC or Green Card alien does not matter.

What does matter is their joint income. If they did not earn enough, and go to file for AOS while both are unemployed or under-employed. If they are in AOS status, then they qualified the income requirements during the K-1 phase, and should only need to show income for one, possibly two years since arrival of the K-1 holder. In our case there was really just one tax year to add to the AOS application, but had the luxury of being employed and income eligible on my income alone and my spouse was working when we filed AOS as well for even more cushion above the requirements.

The OP is a bit light on data, but the simple answer to the question is, no, accepting food stamps and WIC are not going to cause an issue or barrier for AOS with USCIS. These are not 'means tested' programs, USCIS does not care in the least about green card holders accepting them if they qualify.

Income could be an issue though, they may need a co-sponsor. Hard to tell from the limited information when they stopped working, or if they made enough during this year to meet or beat the income requirements. Or they could have enough disposable resources to qualify financially.

[Dakine10 5,452]

No, they can both apply, and if qualified, accept food stamps and or WIC. Being the USC or Green Card alien does not matter.

What does matter is their joint income. If they did not earn enough, and go to file for AOS while both are unemployed or under-employed. If they are in AOS status, then they qualified the income requirements during the K-1 phase, and should only need to show income for one, possibly two years since arrival of the K-1 holder. In our case there was really just one tax year to add to the AOS application, but had the luxury of being employed and income eligible on my income alone and my spouse was working when we filed AOS as well for even more cushion above the requirements.

The OP is a bit light on data, but the simple answer to the question is, no, accepting food stamps and WIC are not going to cause an issue or barrier for AOS with USCIS. These are not 'means tested' programs, USCIS does not care in the least about green card holders accepting them if they qualify.

Income could be an issue though, they may need a co-sponsor. Hard to tell from the limited information when they stopped working, or if they made enough during this year to meet or beat the income requirements. Or they could have enough disposable resources to qualify financially.

If I remember correctly, food stamps are actually listed on the I-864 as an example of a federal means tested benefit.

Unless something changed recently, the non USC spouse cannot accept food stamps as long as the affadavit of support is in effect. Obviousy the USC spouse and child could receive food stamps.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

If I remember correctly, food stamps are actually listed on the I-864 as an example of a federal means tested benefit.

Unless something changed recently, the non USC spouse cannot accept food stamps as long as the affadavit of support is in effect. Obviousy the USC spouse and child could receive food stamps.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

You could be correct as to who in the household can receive the food stamps, it may be only the USC I am not sure, but the household recieving them does not create a problem with USCIS.

I can say with 1000 percent certainty that the non-USC can qualify and collect on WIC. Also without issue as far as USCIS is concerned.

Edited January 14, 2010 by ready4ONE

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

hello everybody..

I am an OCD man and I wanna make sure about an important thing, I am married to a US citizen who is pregnant'''Thanks GOD'''' and we are not working so we are depending on our savings and I am applying for AOS some of my friends told me to apply for the food stamps and the WIC but I am afraid that those may affect my AOS application and I might be considered a public charge,, so what do you think????????????

and do you know how much do they give us if we applied for those things(I am living with my wife who is pregnant and we do not have kids yet)

thanks a lot and wish me luck

Applying for WIC or food stamps has no affect for the US citizen. The US citizen is always eligible to receive these benefits, the intending immigrant is not. Your wife can claim you in her "family size" for her application but she cannot receive a "benefit" for you. She will receive, for example, food stamps for a family of two (her and her US citizen child) but for income purposes she can claim a family of three. She will list you on her application but check that you are not applying for benefits.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

You could be correct as to who in the household can receive the food stamps, it may be only the USC I am not sure, but the household recieving them does not create a problem with USCIS.

I can say with 1000 percent certainty that the non-USC can qualify and collect on WIC. Also without issue as far as USCIS is concerned.

This is not correct. The non-USC is not eligible for food stamps or WIC. If applied for, the non-USC WILL receive food stamps, but it is entirely possible the government could come back at a future date and demand re-payment by the sponsor or co-sponsor for the benefit. Then again, they may not.

"qualifying and collecting" is NOT the same as being legally eligible to do so. WIC and food stamps are programs specifically excluded by the I-864.

[NickD 203]

New well in advance before bringing my wife and her daughter here, better have money for health and auto insurance and a couple of bucks to feed them because of that contract with the US government I had my arm twisted to sign before they could get their conditional residency. If you do not sign the I-864, they won't be approved.

It's a risk a sponsoring USC has to take to bring their loved ones here and would sure help to have a crystal ball. Could contact some disease, condition, have an accident in which case after a year of care, your lovely health insurance policy will kick them off because now they have a pre-condition. So you burn all of your savings, sell all your goods while the medical industry robs you blind until you are dead broke with the only alternative left is to seek public aid. But you may have to pay that back. You pray that nothing like this happens to them until they get their USC when that contract is finally broken. Doesn't help either to see illegals getting free medical care. But you want to be good as defined by the government and want to do everything legally.

And don't think you can get out of it with a divorce, they got that covered as well, not a divorce because you don't love that person, but one so hopefully you can survive it. Even without the I-864, you don't have that means because they don't honor that divorce if that person is still a household member.

This is our lovely country that robs us blind with taxes each year, Reagan had a lot to do with this, but was never changed afterwards, by either party. So screw both parties, both are crooks.

Don't ask what your country can do for you, ask what your country can do to you!

Do you find any exaggeration in the above statement? Can already tell you this happened to me when one of my kid's was diagnosed with Crohn's. It wasn't that he had any major surgery done, just pills, but was kicked off my policy, and robbed to death with just office visits. Ate up my life savings, IRA, life insurance, sold my extra vehicles, almost lost my home, before he could go on Medicaid. Every month had to send in a complete financial statement of income and expenses, even had problems in saving for my property taxes, but they did let me open a separate account for that. No matter what kind of disaster you have, always have to pay your property taxes or get thrown out on the street. I love this country and see a lot of my money being spent so our city can have a first class building to work in with fancy artwork in the front.

[Ban Hammer 13,400]

OCD = Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? Or, OCD = Old Chronically Disabled?

or the tiger woods version - out catching diseases