Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is available to individuals with low income, limited resources, or both.
In 2025, the maximum monthly payment for a qualified individual is $967, but the exact amount you receive depends on various factors.
SSI is funded by the US Treasury and managed by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
While it’s often assumed that SSI is only available to US citizens, certain noncitizens may also qualify.
Your eligibility as a noncitizen depends on factors like your immigration status, how long you’ve lived in the US, and your work history.
Who Can Qualify for SSI as a Noncitizen?
To be eligible for SSI as a noncitizen, you must meet two main requirements:
- You must be classified under a qualifying noncitizen category.
- You must meet a condition that allows qualified noncitizens to receive SSI.
Qualifying Noncitizen Categories
Noncitizens are considered “qualified aliens” if they meet any of the following classifications with proper documentation:
- Lawfully admitted for permanent residence (LAPR)
- Granted conditional entry
- Paroled into the US
- Admitted as a refugee
- Granted asylum
- A noncitizen whose removal is being withheld
- A Cuban or Haitian entrant
- Admitted as an Amerasian immigrant
- Admitted as an Afghan or Iraqi special immigrant
- Admitted as an Afghan humanitarian parolee or an Afghan non-special immigrant parolee
- Admitted as a Ukrainian humanitarian parolee
Noncitizens who experienced battery or extreme cruelty by a family member while living in the US may also be granted “qualified noncitizen” status under certain conditions.
Eligibility Conditions for Qualified Noncitizens
If you fall into one of the qualifying categories, you may be eligible for SSI if you meet any of the following conditions:
- You were already receiving SSI and lawfully living in the US on or before August 22, 1996.
- You were lawfully living in the US by August 22, 1996, and you are blind or have a qualifying disability.
- You are an LAPR with 40 qualifying quarters of work. (Work performed by your parents or spouse may also count toward the 40 quarters.) However, noncitizens who entered the US on or after August 22, 1996, may not be eligible for SSI during their first five years as an LAPR, even if they have the 40 qualifying quarters.
- You are currently on active duty in the US Armed Forces or are an honorably discharged veteran. This also applies if you are the spouse, widow, or child of such a person.
- You are a refugee, an asylee, a Cuban or Haitian entrant, an Amerasian immigrant, or a noncitizen whose deportation or removal was withheld.
- You are an Indigenous person born in Canada or a member of a federally recognized Indigenous tribe, which exempts you from the August 22, 1996, rule.
Duration of SSI Benefits for Noncitizens
Some noncitizens can receive SSI benefits for up to seven years, while others are not subject to this limit.
If the seven-year limit applies to you, the SSA will notify you of the end date and your right to appeal before payments stop.
Receiving SSI While Outside the US
If you are a noncitizen and leave the US for six consecutive months, your SSI payments will stop.
Payments can resume once you return to the US and remain there for one full calendar month.
How to Apply for SSI?
To apply for SSI, visit the Social Security Administration’s website. Be prepared to provide documentation proving your noncitizen status.
If you’ve served in the military, you’ll also need to provide documentation of an honorable discharge (if applicable).
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