Understanding Eligibility Rules for Federal Benefits and Immigration Status U.S. law, including the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), restricts access to most federal public benefits for noncitizens. Undocumented immigrants are generally ineligible for programs like Medicaid (except emergencies), SNAP, TANF, and SSI. Many lawfully present immigrants face a 5-year waiting period for certain means-tested benefits. A 2017 National Academies of Sciences r