Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps") in Hawaii: what you may be able to apply for
What it is
Monthly food benefits that help low-income households buy the food they need. Benefits come on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card — EBT has been the sole method of SNAP issuance in all states since June 2004 — which you swipe like a bank card at authorized grocery stores. The benefit amount is based on the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, updated each year to keep pace with food prices, and depends on your household size and how much monthly income is left after certain expenses are deducted. It is a federal program (USDA Food and Nutrition Service), but state public assistance agencies run it through their local offices — you must apply in the state where you currently live, so the application and the local name vary by state (California calls it CalFresh). Benefits generally arrive no later than 30 days after the office receives your application; households with little or no money that need help right away may get benefits within 7 days.
SNAP (food assistance) — run by the Benefit, Employment & Support Services Division (BESSD) of Hawaii's Department of Human Services; apply online at pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov.
Final eligibility is decided by the agency
Policies can change — always check the latest official information.
🔎 Will this affect your green card?
SNAP does NOT count in the public charge test — the current rule lists "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other nutrition programs" as the very first item on the "Public Benefits Not Considered" list, so receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application. The current rule considers only two things: (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance (SSI, TANF cash, and state, tribal, territorial, or local cash benefit programs for income maintenance), and (b) long-term institutionalization at government expense (such as a long-term stay in a nursing facility or mental health institution). SNAP is neither — it is not cash assistance and it is not institutional care. USCIS states expressly that it will not consider receipt of, or certification or approval for future receipt of, the benefits on that list. First, a sentence that may make this whole section irrelevant to you: many people are outside this assessment altogether. The exemption categories Congress created by statute remain in force — DHS said so in the July 20, 2026 rule: what it removed was the list, while "USCIS will provide training and guidance to its officers, including information about which aliens are statutorily exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility". ✅ Each of the following rests on its own statute and does not disappear with that list: refugees (8 U.S.C. §1157(c)(3): paragraph (4) of §1182(a) "shall not be applicable"); refugees and asylees adjusting status (§1159(c), same wording); Special Immigrant Juveniles (§1255(h)(2)(A): paragraph (4) "shall not apply"); and VAWA self-petitioners, U nonimmigrant applicants or holders, and battered spouses and children under §1641(c) (§1182(a)(4)(E): "shall not apply"). Battered spouses and children have a second layer of statutory protection: the law forbids considering any public benefits for them (INA §212(s)). If you hold a T visa: the law allows immigration authorities to waive the public charge ground (§1255(l)(2), "may waive") — but that waiver is discretionary; it does not apply automatically as the categories above do. ✅ This does not mean you cannot get a waiver; it means it has to be requested and explained case by case. Have a lawyer help you prepare it. For the full list, and whether you are in it, have a lawyer check. ✅ For what you received before September 18, 2026, the rule considers only two things: (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance (SSI, TANF cash, and state, tribal, territorial or local general-assistance cash) and (b) long-term institutionalization at government expense. Anything outside those two is not counted — that is written into the rule itself and has not changed. But if you did receive (a) or (b) before that date, those are considered; have an attorney look at your specific situation. (This is in the rule itself: it applies only going forward — DHS "will only consider the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance and long-term institutionalization at government expense before the effective date".) And if this assessment does apply to you — from September 18, 2026 onwards, things change — means-tested public benefits received on or after that day - that is, the public benefits that look at your income or assets when you apply - and for example SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, but not limited to these, because the rule names a whole category rather than a list, and not limited to federal programs either - state, territorial, Tribal and local ones count too (verbatim: "Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, and local programs that provide means-tested public benefits"); if you are not sure whether the one you receive counts, ask a licensed immigration attorney - may be weighed as one of the factors (the rule "will consider the receipt of any means tested public benefits on or after that date"). ✅ It is one factor among many, not an automatic denial. The rule requires each case to be weighed on all of its circumstances. How much weight any one of them carries has not been published — USCIS has not issued its operating guidance. We have not verified it; that is not the same as saying it has changed. If you are applying for a visa abroad, or entering at a port of entry: the above describes USCIS (applications filed inside the United States). The rule itself notes that CBP at a port of entry may consider different information; how consulates abroad apply it, we have not verified. See details →
Who may qualify
Income limit
- Most households — Hawaii uses BBCE, so the gross income line is 200% FPL with no asset limit≤ 200% FPLIn the agency's own words: "Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) expands SNAP benefits to low-income families with high expenses, and to families whose gross incomes are slightly higher than the 130% FPL normal gross income test. Under BBCE, the gross income limit is 200% FPL and there is an unlimited asset standard." So do not rule yourself out because you have some savings, or because your income is over 130%.
A net income test still applies: "Net monthly income must be 100 percent or less of the Federal poverty guidelines." Net income is gross income minus allowed deductions for child care, excess shelter costs and other expenses — it is not the number on your payslip.
There is also a route that does not look at income at all: "Households where all members receive, or are authorized to receive TANF or SSI cash assistance, are categorically eligible for SNAP. There is no gross income limit, no net income limit and no asset limit."
When converting to dollars, use Hawaii's own poverty guideline (higher than the 48 contiguous states); the agency also notes that the FPL chart on its site "is for reference only" and that an intake worker makes the final determination.
Source:State of Hawaii, Department of Human Services — BESSD · checked 2026-08-07
Official excerpt
“Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) expands SNAP benefits to low-income families with high expenses, and to families whose gross incomes are slightly higher than the 130% FPL normal gross income test. Under BBCE, the gross income limit is 200% FPL and there is an unlimited asset standard. … Net monthly income must be 100 percent or less of the Federal poverty guidelines. … Households where all members receive, or are authorized to receive TANF or SSI cash assistance, are categorically eligible for SNAP. There is no gross income limit, no net income limit and no asset limit.”
"SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)" — Benefit, Employment & Support Services Division (BESSD), State of Hawaii DHS。逐字:BBCE「Under BBCE, the gross income limit is 200% FPL and there is an unlimited asset standard.」· 净收入「Net monthly income must be 100 percent or less of the Federal poverty guidelines.」· 类别资格「Households where all members receive, or are authorized to receive TANF or SSI cash assistance, are categorically eligible for SNAP. There is no gross income limit, no net income limit and no asset limit.」· 社会安全号「All household members must provide a Social Security number or apply for one.」· 延迟提示「there may be delays in processing and replies to voice mails」· FPL 对照表自陈「* This Federal Poverty Limit (FPL) chart is for reference only. An intake worker will make the final determination of your eligibility category.」🔴 页面未标注自身生效日 → null。
View the official document → (Opens in a new tab)
Immigration-status rules in this state
For citizens of the three COFA nations: the legal basis in this cell is not the same provision as on this state's Medicaid page, so do not infer one from the other. Medicaid runs on 8 U.S.C. § 1612(b)(2)(G) ("designated Federal program" = TANF, the social services block grant and Medicaid). SNAP runs on subsection (a)(2)(N) of the same statute — and (a)(3) defines "specified Federal program" as SSI and food stamps, that is, SNAP. The two stand independently; one being true does not make the other true. In Hawaii both are true. Hawaii's own DHS sets out the pedigree, word for word: "On March 9, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (CAA) (P.L. 118-42). Division G, Title II, Section 209(f) of the CAA amends Section 402 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA)…" and its FAQ states who is eligible: "COFA citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau who lawfully reside in the United States and meet income and other eligibility requirements for SNAP." Note that last clause: the law settles the status question; income and the other general conditions still have to be met on their own. Do not read "the status barrier is cleared" as "I will certainly receive benefits." And this cell contains something you rarely see elsewhere: people who were turned down can go back. DHS states that COFA citizens who applied for SNAP on or after March 9, 2024 and were denied may reapply to be determined eligible under the CAA, or may request a fair hearing within 90 days of the denial — and says plainly that you may do both: "You also have the option to both reapply and to request a fair hearing at the same time." For a hearing, use Form DHS 1461, call 1-855-643-1643, or ask at any DHS Processing Center. If you, or someone you know, was denied after March 2024 — this paragraph is for you. One thing we are not answering for you: there was a separate federal change in 2025 to which immigration categories qualify for SNAP (its content and effect are set out in the federal section of this program's page). We have not re-read this round how that change and the COFA provision above fit together. So if a caseworker tells you something different from this page, ask them which rule they are relying on, and go by the agency's answer. For people without lawful status, none of the above applies; we did not find a state-funded food program for undocumented adults in Hawaii (scope of what we checked: BESSD's SNAP page and this COFA page). That is "we did not find one," not "there is none" — community food banks and similar resources that do not ask about status are outside the scope of this page; ask about them separately.
Recent major change to SNAP rules (some immigration statuses)
What changed: A federal law effective 2025-07-04 (OBBBA §10108, rewriting 7 U.S.C. 2015(f)) limits SNAP to: U.S. citizens · lawful permanent residents (green-card holders) · Cuban/Haitian entrants · COFA (Compact of Free Association) citizens. Who is affected: Refugees, people granted asylum, people granted withholding of removal, humanitarian parolees, battered spouses and children, conditional entrants, and similar categories are now excluded by the statute. ⚠️ But: The federal regulation 7 CFR 273.4 has not been updated (current on eCFR as of 2026-07-15) and still lists these categories as eligible; the FNS non-citizen eligibility page was taken down and marked "being updated" (2025-08-29). States may apply this differently. What to do: Do NOT decide on your own — whether old information says you qualify or this notice says you're excluded, check your specific situation with your state SNAP office (they are the ones with authority to decide). This affects SNAP only: Medicaid, CHIP, and WIC have DIFFERENT eligibility rules, are not affected by this law, and you may still qualify. Also: SNAP does NOT count toward public charge; searching or applying by itself does not affect your immigration status. Informational only, not legal advice; for your personal situation consult a licensed immigration attorney.
Immigration categories named as affected
refugees, asylees, people granted withholding of removal, humanitarian parolees, battered spouses and children, and conditional entrants
The official law and regulation do not yet agree
The federal regulation 7 CFR 273.4 has not been updated (current on eCFR as of 2026-07-15) and still lists refugees and asylees as eligible; FNS took down its non-citizen eligibility page and marked it "being updated" (2025-08-29). States may apply this differently.
You may still qualify for these
What to do
Check with your state SNAP office before assuming you're excluded — they are the ones who decide your case.
OBBBA §10108, amending Section 6(f) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(f)) · 2025-07-04
How to apply
What you'll need
Apply online at pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov; you can also pick up or hand in a form at any DHS Processing Center, or download the paper form and mail or drop it off. When you submit, you get a receipt with a tracking number, and DHS then contacts you for an interview. COFA citizens: have your I-94 ready. The agency says applicants "should be ready to provide their I-94 Form," and points to the US Customs and Border Protection I-94 site, which explains how to look up and print your own arrival record using an A-Number (Alien Registration Number). The Social Security number line matters in how you read it: the agency writes "All household members must provide a Social Security number or apply for one." Applying for one counts — it is not "no number, no application." Someone can help you fill it in: DHS contracts community organisations across the state as SNAP Outreach providers who help with the form and with gathering documents — especially useful where paperwork is complicated or English is a barrier. Language: the top of that page carries the same sentence in more than a dozen languages — including Chuukese, Marshallese, Ilocano, Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Cebuano, Tagalog, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Spanish, French and German — reading "We will get you a free interpreter. Call 1-888-764-7586 to tell us which language you speak." The interpreter is free, and that number is printed on the official page.
Timeline
When you submit you get a receipt with a tracking number, and DHS then contacts you for an interview. The agency's own caution: "Due to the increase in applications and the subsequent workload at Processing Centers, there may be delays in processing and replies to voice mails." A receipt is not an approval, and longer waits are something the agency itself acknowledges — if you hear nothing for a long time, call 1-855-643-1643 rather than waiting quietly. For COFA citizens denied on or after March 9, 2024, the ninety days after a denial are the most important stretch of time in this cell: you may reapply, you may request a fair hearing within 90 days, and you may do both at once. For a hearing: Form DHS 1461, or call 1-855-643-1643, or ask in person at any Processing Center. Why "at once" matters: reapplying settles what happens from now on; a hearing settles whether that earlier denial was right. The two start from different points in time, and doing only one of them gives up the other half.
Go to the official application → (Opens in a new tab)Hawaii DHS — BESSD's official SNAP page (apply at pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov; information line 1-855-643-1643)
Will it affect your green card? (Public charge)
✅ SNAP does NOT count in the public charge test — the current rule lists "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other nutrition programs" as the very first item on the "Public Benefits Not Considered" list, so receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application. The current rule considers only two things: (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance (SSI, TANF cash, and state, tribal, territorial, or local cash benefit programs for income maintenance), and (b) long-term institutionalization at government expense (such as a long-term stay in a nursing facility or mental health institution). SNAP is neither — it is not cash assistance and it is not institutional care. USCIS states expressly that it will not consider receipt of, or certification or approval for future receipt of, the benefits on that list. First, a sentence that may make this whole section irrelevant to you: many people are outside this assessment altogether. The exemption categories Congress created by statute remain in force — DHS said so in the July 20, 2026 rule: what it removed was the list, while "USCIS will provide training and guidance to its officers, including information about which aliens are statutorily exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility". ✅ Each of the following rests on its own statute and does not disappear with that list: refugees (8 U.S.C. §1157(c)(3): paragraph (4) of §1182(a) "shall not be applicable"); refugees and asylees adjusting status (§1159(c), same wording); Special Immigrant Juveniles (§1255(h)(2)(A): paragraph (4) "shall not apply"); and VAWA self-petitioners, U nonimmigrant applicants or holders, and battered spouses and children under §1641(c) (§1182(a)(4)(E): "shall not apply"). Battered spouses and children have a second layer of statutory protection: the law forbids considering any public benefits for them (INA §212(s)). If you hold a T visa: the law allows immigration authorities to waive the public charge ground (§1255(l)(2), "may waive") — but that waiver is discretionary; it does not apply automatically as the categories above do. ✅ This does not mean you cannot get a waiver; it means it has to be requested and explained case by case. Have a lawyer help you prepare it. For the full list, and whether you are in it, have a lawyer check. ✅ For what you received before September 18, 2026, the rule considers only two things: (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance (SSI, TANF cash, and state, tribal, territorial or local general-assistance cash) and (b) long-term institutionalization at government expense. Anything outside those two is not counted — that is written into the rule itself and has not changed. But if you did receive (a) or (b) before that date, those are considered; have an attorney look at your specific situation. (This is in the rule itself: it applies only going forward — DHS "will only consider the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance and long-term institutionalization at government expense before the effective date".) And if this assessment does apply to you — from September 18, 2026 onwards, things change — means-tested public benefits received on or after that day - that is, the public benefits that look at your income or assets when you apply - and for example SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, but not limited to these, because the rule names a whole category rather than a list, and not limited to federal programs either - state, territorial, Tribal and local ones count too (verbatim: "Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, and local programs that provide means-tested public benefits"); if you are not sure whether the one you receive counts, ask a licensed immigration attorney - may be weighed as one of the factors (the rule "will consider the receipt of any means tested public benefits on or after that date"). ✅ It is one factor among many, not an automatic denial. The rule requires each case to be weighed on all of its circumstances. How much weight any one of them carries has not been published — USCIS has not issued its operating guidance. We have not verified it; that is not the same as saying it has changed. If you are applying for a visa abroad, or entering at a port of entry: the above describes USCIS (applications filed inside the United States). The rule itself notes that CBP at a port of entry may consider different information; how consulates abroad apply it, we have not verified.
➕ The exclusion is categorical: SNAP has no "long-term institutional care" exception the way Medicaid does — whatever you buy with SNAP, however long you receive it, and however much you receive, it does not count. Other nutrition programs are likewise not considered, including WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), school lunch programs, the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), the Emergency Food Assistance Act program (TEFAP), and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). In addition, USCIS does not consider public benefits received by an applicant's family members (including U.S. citizen children or other relatives), or benefits received by the applicant solely on behalf of third parties — a U.S. citizen child receiving SNAP in a mixed-status family does not count in a parent's public charge determination. It is not considered "receipt" to apply for a benefit on your own behalf or on behalf of another, nor is approval for future receipt. USCIS also does not consider benefits received while the applicant was in an immigration category exempt from public charge, or benefits received by people who are eligible for the resettlement assistance, entitlement programs, and other benefits available to refugees. One persistent rumor, put to rest: under the current rule effective December 23, 2022, SNAP does not count toward public charge. A 2019 rule did count it, but that rule was vacated nationwide on March 9, 2022 (USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part G, Chapter 1: "a partial final judgment vacating the 2019 Final Rule went into effect nationwide on March 9, 2022"). Rules have changed before and could change again — rely on the latest official guidance.
The statute itself names the moments at which this is assessed. INA § 212(a)(4)(A) (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(4)(A)) reads that an alien is inadmissible who, "in the opinion of the consular officer at the time of application for a visa, or in the opinion of the Attorney General at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, is likely at any time to become a public charge." ⇒ Three occasions are named: applying for a visa, applying for admission, and applying for adjustment of status. Two things are commonly read too narrowly, and both errors point the same way — toward "this does not concern me": the statute says "a visa" and does not limit that to immigrant visas; and "application for admission" is its own separate occasion. We do not tell you whether your own situation is one of these — that depends on your case; consult a licensed immigration attorney.
The exemptions are not "a few categories" — the regulation lists twenty-nine of them. 8 CFR 212.23(a) opens: "The public charge ground of inadmissibility under section 212(a)(4) of the Act does not apply … to the following categories of aliens," and then runs (1) through (29). Among those most relevant to readers of this site: refugees (1); asylees (2); Cuban and Haitian entrants (5); Cuban Adjustment Act applicants (6); NACARA (7); Special Immigrant Juveniles (10); Temporary Protected Status (12); T nonimmigrants (17) and (18); U nonimmigrants (19); VAWA self-petitioners (20); battered spouses and children who are qualified aliens under PRWORA § 431(c) (21); Afghan and Iraqi interpreters (4); nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos (25). Category (29) has to be read along with the rest, and it is the one most easily missed: "Any other categories of aliens exempt under any other law from the public charge ground of inadmissibility provisions under section 212(a)(4) of the Act." ⇒ "I am not in the categories listed above" does not mean "I am not exempt." The full list of 29 is at 8 CFR 212.23(a). That regulation is scheduled for removal on September 18, 2026 (91 FR 45477); on that date this whole block closes rather than continuing to show old text — but the statutory exemptions themselves come from their own laws and do not disappear with it. Whether your case falls within one is a question for a licensed immigration attorney. These exemptions do not disappear with that list: in the rescission rule of July 20, 2026 DHS says so itself — "Although DHS is removing the regulation listing exemptions, the statutory exemptions created by Congress for certain Cuban and Haitian applicants for adjustment of status continue to exist." Note the scope of that sentence: it is DHS responding to a comment about Cuban and Haitian applicants, and it covers only those two groups. Each of the 29 categories rests on its own statute, which the regulation merely collected in one place - and that is why the list does not vanish with the regulation.
Renewing a green card and naturalizing are generally not occasions for a public charge assessment. For a green-card holder returning from a trip abroad, the statute writes out an exhaustive list of when they are treated as seeking admission at all. 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(13)(C): a lawful permanent resident "shall not be regarded as seeking an admission … unless the alien—" falls within one of six situations: (i) has abandoned or relinquished that status; (ii) has been absent for a continuous period in excess of 180 days; (iii) has engaged in illegal activity after departing; (iv) departed while under legal process seeking removal, including removal or extradition proceedings; (v) has committed an offense identified in 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(2), unless relief has since been granted under § 1182(h) or § 1229b(a); or (vi) is attempting to enter at a time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or has not been admitted after inspection and authorization by an immigration officer. Those six are the whole of what the statute gives — the widely quoted "180 days" is only item (ii), not the only one. Whether your own situation falls within any of them is a question for a licensed immigration attorney; this site does not judge individual cases.
This is information only, not immigration, legal, or tax advice. Public charge and your personal status are complex — consult a licensed immigration attorney. We never tell you whether you "will" or "won't" be affected.
USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 8, Part G, Chapter 7, Section E "Public Benefits Not Considered" (which lists SNAP as its first item), together with Sections B and C (the only two categories considered), and Chapter 3 (who it applies to) — 8 USCIS-PM G.7 / G.3; regulation 8 CFR 212.22(a)(3), 212.21–212.23; 2022 final rule 87 FR 55472. · 2022-12-23
Source:U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (uscis.gov) · checked 2026-07-16
Official excerpt
“Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other nutrition programs;”
Chapter 7 - Consideration of Current and/or Past Receipt of Public Cash Assistance for Income Maintenance or Long-term Institutionalization at Government Expense | USCIS · 8 USCIS-PM G.7
View the official document → (Opens in a new tab)Frequently asked questions
What is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps")?
Monthly food benefits that help low-income households buy the food they need. Benefits come on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card — EBT has been the sole method of SNAP issuance in all states since June 2004 — which you swipe like a bank card at authorized grocery stores. The benefit amount is based on the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan, updated each year to keep pace with food prices, and depends on your household size and how much monthly income is left after certain expenses are deducted. It is a federal program (USDA Food and Nutrition Service), but state public assistance agencies run it through their local offices — you must apply in the state where you currently live, so the application and the local name vary by state (California calls it CalFresh). Benefits generally arrive no later than 30 days after the office receives your application; households with little or no money that need help right away may get benefits within 7 days.
Who can apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps") in Hawaii?
Generally, Most households — Hawaii uses BBCE, so the gross income line is 200% FPL with no asset limit: ≤ 200% FPL. The agency makes the final determination.
Can non-citizens or people without immigration status get Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps")?
For citizens of the three COFA nations: the legal basis in this cell is not the same provision as on this state's Medicaid page, so do not infer one from the other. Medicaid runs on 8 U.S.C. § 1612(b)(2)(G) ("designated Federal program" = TANF, the social services block grant and Medicaid). SNAP runs on subsection (a)(2)(N) of the same statute — and (a)(3) defines "specified Federal program" as SSI and food stamps, that is, SNAP. The two stand independently; one being true does not make the other true. In Hawaii both are true. Hawaii's own DHS sets out the pedigree, word for word: "On March 9, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (CAA) (P.L. 118-42). Division G, Title II, Section 209(f) of the CAA amends Section 402 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA)…" and its FAQ states who is eligible: "COFA citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau who lawfully reside in the United States and meet income and other eligibility requirements for SNAP." Note that last clause: the law settles the status question; income and the other general conditions still have to be met on their own. Do not read "the status barrier is cleared" as "I will certainly receive benefits." And this cell contains something you rarely see elsewhere: people who were turned down can go back. DHS states that COFA citizens who applied for SNAP on or after March 9, 2024 and were denied may reapply to be determined eligible under the CAA, or may request a fair hearing within 90 days of the denial — and says plainly that you may do both: "You also have the option to both reapply and to request a fair hearing at the same time." For a hearing, use Form DHS 1461, call 1-855-643-1643, or ask at any DHS Processing Center. If you, or someone you know, was denied after March 2024 — this paragraph is for you. One thing we are not answering for you: there was a separate federal change in 2025 to which immigration categories qualify for SNAP (its content and effect are set out in the federal section of this program's page). We have not re-read this round how that change and the COFA provision above fit together. So if a caseworker tells you something different from this page, ask them which rule they are relying on, and go by the agency's answer. For people without lawful status, none of the above applies; we did not find a state-funded food program for undocumented adults in Hawaii (scope of what we checked: BESSD's SNAP page and this COFA page). That is "we did not find one," not "there is none" — community food banks and similar resources that do not ask about status are outside the scope of this page; ask about them separately. The 2025 federal law OBBBA (H.R.1, Public Law 119-21, enacted July 4, 2025), Section 10108 ("Alien SNAP eligibility"), rewrote Section 6(f) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(f)) and sharply narrowed which non-citizens can get SNAP. That section contains no separate effective-date provision, so it took effect on enactment (July 4, 2025) — note this differs from the Medicaid change (Section 71109), which does not take effect until Oct 1, 2026: the SNAP restriction is already in force. Under the new statutory text, in addition to being a resident of the United States, a person must be one of four groups to get SNAP: (1) a citizen or national of the United States; (2) an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (a green card holder) under the Immigration and Nationality Act; (3) an alien granted the status of Cuban and Haitian entrant, as defined in Section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980; or (4) an individual who lawfully resides in the U.S. under a Compact of Free Association (COFA — Micronesia/Marshall Islands/Palau). Refugees, asylees, people whose deportation or removal is withheld, parolees, battered spouses and children, and conditional entrants — all previously eligible — are not in the new statutory list. The income and financial resources of a person made ineligible are still counted in determining the eligibility and benefit amount of the household they belong to — meaning eligible members of the household (such as U.S. citizen children) may still receive SNAP. The five-year wait: federal regulation 7 CFR 273.4(a)(6)(iii) requires green card holders age 18 or older to be in qualified status for 5 years (consecutive or nonconsecutive) before they can get SNAP. But 7 CFR 273.4(a)(6)(ii) lists important exemptions — meeting any one of them removes the five-year wait — including: an individual who is under 18 years of age; a green card holder age 18 or older with 40 qualifying work quarters (which can include quarters credited from a parent's work before you turned 18 and from a spouse's work during the marriage); an individual receiving benefits or assistance for blindness or disability; people with a military connection (an honorably discharged veteran, someone on active duty, and their spouse and unmarried dependent children); and an individual who was lawfully residing in the U.S. on Aug 22, 1996 and was born on or before Aug 22, 1931. An honest caveat: USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has taken the content off its non-citizen eligibility page, which now says only "The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 changes certain eligibility factors for SNAP... We are in the process of updating this page" (page updated Aug 29, 2025), and 7 CFR 273.4 has still not been amended to match the new law (Title 7 of the CFR is current as of July 15, 2026) — it still lists refugees, asylees, and other groups the statute now excludes. The statute controls over a regulation that has not caught up. This is a changing area — check with your state's SNAP office and rely on the latest official guidance. The agency makes the final determination.
Does getting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps") affect my green card?
SNAP does NOT count in the public charge test — the current rule lists "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other nutrition programs" as the very first item on the "Public Benefits Not Considered" list, so receiving it does not affect your green card or immigration application. The current rule considers only two things: (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance (SSI, TANF cash, and state, tribal, territorial, or local cash benefit programs for income maintenance), and (b) long-term institutionalization at government expense (such as a long-term stay in a nursing facility or mental health institution). SNAP is neither — it is not cash assistance and it is not institutional care. USCIS states expressly that it will not consider receipt of, or certification or approval for future receipt of, the benefits on that list. First, a sentence that may make this whole section irrelevant to you: many people are outside this assessment altogether. The exemption categories Congress created by statute remain in force — DHS said so in the July 20, 2026 rule: what it removed was the list, while "USCIS will provide training and guidance to its officers, including information about which aliens are statutorily exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility". ✅ Each of the following rests on its own statute and does not disappear with that list: refugees (8 U.S.C. §1157(c)(3): paragraph (4) of §1182(a) "shall not be applicable"); refugees and asylees adjusting status (§1159(c), same wording); Special Immigrant Juveniles (§1255(h)(2)(A): paragraph (4) "shall not apply"); and VAWA self-petitioners, U nonimmigrant applicants or holders, and battered spouses and children under §1641(c) (§1182(a)(4)(E): "shall not apply"). Battered spouses and children have a second layer of statutory protection: the law forbids considering any public benefits for them (INA §212(s)). If you hold a T visa: the law allows immigration authorities to waive the public charge ground (§1255(l)(2), "may waive") — but that waiver is discretionary; it does not apply automatically as the categories above do. ✅ This does not mean you cannot get a waiver; it means it has to be requested and explained case by case. Have a lawyer help you prepare it. For the full list, and whether you are in it, have a lawyer check. ✅ For what you received before September 18, 2026, the rule considers only two things: (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance (SSI, TANF cash, and state, tribal, territorial or local general-assistance cash) and (b) long-term institutionalization at government expense. Anything outside those two is not counted — that is written into the rule itself and has not changed. But if you did receive (a) or (b) before that date, those are considered; have an attorney look at your specific situation. (This is in the rule itself: it applies only going forward — DHS "will only consider the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance and long-term institutionalization at government expense before the effective date".) And if this assessment does apply to you — from September 18, 2026 onwards, things change — means-tested public benefits received on or after that day - that is, the public benefits that look at your income or assets when you apply - and for example SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and WIC, but not limited to these, because the rule names a whole category rather than a list, and not limited to federal programs either - state, territorial, Tribal and local ones count too (verbatim: "Federal, State, territorial, Tribal, and local programs that provide means-tested public benefits"); if you are not sure whether the one you receive counts, ask a licensed immigration attorney - may be weighed as one of the factors (the rule "will consider the receipt of any means tested public benefits on or after that date"). ✅ It is one factor among many, not an automatic denial. The rule requires each case to be weighed on all of its circumstances. How much weight any one of them carries has not been published — USCIS has not issued its operating guidance. We have not verified it; that is not the same as saying it has changed. If you are applying for a visa abroad, or entering at a port of entry: the above describes USCIS (applications filed inside the United States). The rule itself notes that CBP at a port of entry may consider different information; how consulates abroad apply it, we have not verified. The exemptions are not "a few categories" — the regulation lists twenty-nine of them. 8 CFR 212.23(a) opens: "The public charge ground of inadmissibility under section 212(a)(4) of the Act does not apply … to the following categories of aliens," and then runs (1) through (29). Among those most relevant to readers of this site: refugees (1); asylees (2); Cuban and Haitian entrants (5); Cuban Adjustment Act applicants (6); NACARA (7); Special Immigrant Juveniles (10); Temporary Protected Status (12); T nonimmigrants (17) and (18); U nonimmigrants (19); VAWA self-petitioners (20); battered spouses and children who are qualified aliens under PRWORA § 431(c) (21); Afghan and Iraqi interpreters (4); nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos (25). Category (29) has to be read along with the rest, and it is the one most easily missed: "Any other categories of aliens exempt under any other law from the public charge ground of inadmissibility provisions under section 212(a)(4) of the Act." ⇒ "I am not in the categories listed above" does not mean "I am not exempt." The full list of 29 is at 8 CFR 212.23(a). That regulation is scheduled for removal on September 18, 2026 (91 FR 45477); on that date this whole block closes rather than continuing to show old text — but the statutory exemptions themselves come from their own laws and do not disappear with it. Whether your case falls within one is a question for a licensed immigration attorney. These exemptions do not disappear with that list: in the rescission rule of July 20, 2026 DHS says so itself — "Although DHS is removing the regulation listing exemptions, the statutory exemptions created by Congress for certain Cuban and Haitian applicants for adjustment of status continue to exist." Note the scope of that sentence: it is DHS responding to a comment about Cuban and Haitian applicants, and it covers only those two groups. Each of the 29 categories rests on its own statute, which the regulation merely collected in one place - and that is why the list does not vanish with the regulation. This is information only, not immigration, legal, or tax advice. Public charge and your personal status are complex — consult a licensed immigration attorney. We never tell you whether you "will" or "won't" be affected.
How do I apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps") in Hawaii?
Apply online at pais-benefits.dhs.hawaii.gov; you can also pick up or hand in a form at any DHS Processing Center, or download the paper form and mail or drop it off. When you submit, you get a receipt with a tracking number, and DHS then contacts you for an interview. COFA citizens: have your I-94 ready. The agency says applicants "should be ready to provide their I-94 Form," and points to the US Customs and Border Protection I-94 site, which explains how to look up and print your own arrival record using an A-Number (Alien Registration Number). The Social Security number line matters in how you read it: the agency writes "All household members must provide a Social Security number or apply for one." Applying for one counts — it is not "no number, no application." Someone can help you fill it in: DHS contracts community organisations across the state as SNAP Outreach providers who help with the form and with gathering documents — especially useful where paperwork is complicated or English is a barrier. Language: the top of that page carries the same sentence in more than a dozen languages — including Chuukese, Marshallese, Ilocano, Samoan, Tongan, Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Cebuano, Tagalog, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Spanish, French and German — reading "We will get you a free interpreter. Call 1-888-764-7586 to tell us which language you speak." The interpreter is free, and that number is printed on the official page. When you submit you get a receipt with a tracking number, and DHS then contacts you for an interview. The agency's own caution: "Due to the increase in applications and the subsequent workload at Processing Centers, there may be delays in processing and replies to voice mails." A receipt is not an approval, and longer waits are something the agency itself acknowledges — if you hear nothing for a long time, call 1-855-643-1643 rather than waiting quietly. For COFA citizens denied on or after March 9, 2024, the ninety days after a denial are the most important stretch of time in this cell: you may reapply, you may request a fair hearing within 90 days, and you may do both at once. For a hearing: Form DHS 1461, or call 1-855-643-1643, or ask in person at any Processing Center. Why "at once" matters: reapplying settles what happens from now on; a hearing settles whether that earlier denial was right. The two start from different points in time, and doing only one of them gives up the other half. Policies can change — always check the latest official information. https://humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/snap/
Official sources
- "Overview of expanded SNAP eligibility for COFA citizens" — State of Hawaii Department of Human Services。逐字:"On March 9, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (CAA) (P.L. 118-42). Division G, Title II, Section 209(f) of the CAA amends Section 402 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA)…" · 资格问答逐字 "COFA citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau who lawfully reside in the United States and meet income and other eligibility requirements for SNAP." · 补救逐字 "…who applied on or after March 9, 2024, and were denied for SNAP may reapply…" 与 "You also have the option to both reapply and to request a fair hearing at the same time." · 听证途径 "complete Form DHS 1461 (Request for a Hearing), call 1-855-643-1643…" · 材料 "Households should be ready to provide their I-94 Fo[rm]" + CBP I-94 说明 · SNAP Outreach 承包社区机构。🌟 页顶以十余种语言(含楚克语、马绍尔语等)登「We will get you a free interpreter. Call 1-888-764-7586…」。🔴 页面未标注自身生效日 → null。 (Opens in a new tab)
State of Hawaii, Department of Human Services · checked 2026-08-07 · This document states no effective date
- "SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)" — Benefit, Employment & Support Services Division (BESSD), State of Hawaii DHS。逐字:BBCE「Under BBCE, the gross income limit is 200% FPL and there is an unlimited asset standard.」· 净收入「Net monthly income must be 100 percent or less of the Federal poverty guidelines.」· 类别资格「Households where all members receive, or are authorized to receive TANF or SSI cash assistance, are categorically eligible for SNAP. There is no gross income limit, no net income limit and no asset limit.」· 社会安全号「All household members must provide a Social Security number or apply for one.」· 延迟提示「there may be delays in processing and replies to voice mails」· FPL 对照表自陈「* This Federal Poverty Limit (FPL) chart is for reference only. An intake worker will make the final determination of your eligibility category.」🔴 页面未标注自身生效日 → null。 (Opens in a new tab)
State of Hawaii, Department of Human Services — BESSD · checked 2026-08-07 · This document states no effective date
- 8 U.S. Code § 1612 - Limited eligibility of qualified aliens for certain Federal programs | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute (Opens in a new tab)
Cornell Law School — Legal Information Institute (LII) · checked 2026-08-24 · This document states no effective date
Last checked: 2026-08-07
Policies can change — always check the latest official information.
This site is informational only and is not immigration, legal, or tax advice. For public charge and your personal status questions, consult a licensed immigration attorney.