WAC 388-424-0020   How does my alien status impact my eligibility for the federally funded Washington Basic Food program benefits?  (1) If you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. national as defined in WAC 388-424-0001 and meet all other eligibility requirements, you may receive federal Basic Food benefits.

     (2) If you are not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, you must fall within (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this subsection, and meet all other eligibility requirements, in order to receive federal Basic Food benefits:

     (a) You are a member of one of the following groups of "qualified aliens" or similarly defined lawful immigrants as defined in WAC 388-424-0001:

     (i) Amerasian;

     (ii) Asylee;

     (iii) Cuban or Haitian entrant;

     (iv) Deportation or removal withheld;

     (v) Refugee;

     (vi) Victim of trafficking;

     (vii) Noncitizen American Indian; or

     (viii) Hmong or Highland Lao tribal member.

     (b)(i) You are a member of one of the following groups of qualified aliens as defined in WAC 388-424-0001:

     (A) Conditional entrant;

     (B) Lawful permanent resident (LPR);

     (C) Paroled for one year or more; or

     (D) Victim of domestic violence or parent or child of a victim.

     (ii) And, one of the following also applies to you:

     (A) You have worked or can get credit for forty Social Security Administration (SSA) work quarters - as described in WAC 388-424-0008;

     (B) You are an active duty personnel or honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. military or you are the spouse, unmarried surviving spouse, or unmarried dependent child of someone who meets this requirement, as described in WAC 388-424-0007(1);

     (C) You receive cash or medical benefits based on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) criteria for blindness or disability;

     (D) You have lived in the U.S. as a "qualified alien" as described in WAC 388-424-0001 for at least five years;

     (E) You are under age eighteen; or

     (F) You were lawfully residing in the U.S. on August 22, 1996 and were born on or before August 22, 1931.

     (c) You are a special immigrant from Iraq eligible for eight months of federally funded assistance from the date of your entry into the United States or from the date you received special immigrant status if this occurred after your U.S. entry.

     (d) You are a special immigrant from Afghanistan eligible for six months of federally funded assistance from the date of your entry into the United States or from the date you received special immigrant status if this occurred after your U.S. entry.

     (3) If you are ineligible for federal Basic Food benefits due to your alien status, you may be eligible for state Basic Food benefits (see WAC 388-424-0025).



[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08A.320, 74.08.090, and Public Law 110-161 Section 525; Public Law 110-181 Section 1244; FNS Admin Notice 08-17; State Letter 04-12 from the Office of Refugee Resettlement. 08-14-116, § 388-424-0020, filed 6/30/08, effective 8/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-004, § 388-424-0020, filed 7/7/04, effective 8/7/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.04.510. 03-05-029, § 388-424-0020, filed 2/10/03, effective 4/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, and H.R. 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. 02-22-046, § 388-424-0020, filed 10/30/02, effective 12/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510, S. 1150, the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998. 99-01-058, § 388-424-0020, filed 12/11/98, effective 1/11/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-424-0020, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-518-1805.]