Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps") in Maryland: what you may be able to apply for
๐ Will this affect your green card?
SNAP does NOT count in the public charge test โ 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 โ 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. See details โ
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 โ EBT has been the sole method of SNAP issuance in all states since June 2004 โ 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 โ 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.
Food Supplement Program (FSP) โ Maryland's name for SNAP
Who may qualify
Income limit
- The whole household (FSP/SNAP is tested on the household, not one person)โค 200% FPL๐ The FSP/SNAP income line is set by household size โ people who live together and buy and prepare food together count as one household. ๐ Maryland uses Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE) to raise the gross income limit to 200% FPL (above the federal 130% floor) and to waive the asset test for most households: the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) BBCE table lists Maryland with a 200% gross income limit and 'No limit on assets.' A net income test at 100% FPL (gross minus allowable deductions) still applies. Exact dollar figures update each October with the federal poverty guidelines โ confirm current amounts with your local Department of Social Services (DSS).
Immigration-status rules in this state
Maryland runs SNAP as the Food Supplement Program (FSP) through the Department of Human Services (DHS) and local Departments of Social Services (DSS); the online front door is myMDTHINK. Immigrant rules: (1) Federal rule (grounded on DHS): some noncitizens are not eligible, with exceptions for refugees, asylees, people whose deportation has been withheld, Cuban/Haitian entrants, Amerasians, some lawful permanent residents (green-card holders), parolees, people granted conditional entry, and certain battered spouses and children; certain Iraqi/Afghan immigrants, trafficking victims, and Hmong/Laotian tribal members may also qualify. (2) ๐ Mixed-status families: DHS states that even if some household members are not eligible, those who are may still get food supplement benefits โ so do not rule your whole family out. (3) The broader federal SNAP immigrant change (OBBBA / H.R.1 Section 10108) and the five-year rule live on the shared SNAP program page and are not restated here. (4) ๐ด An honest limit: we did not find a Maryland state-funded food program built for immigrants who are excluded from SNAP by status (Maryland has no equivalent of California's CFAP); undocumented Marylanders who are ineligible by status generally cannot get food benefits. Verify your own situation with your local DSS or by calling 2-1-1.
Recent major change to SNAP rules (some immigration statuses)
What changed: A federal law effective 2025-07-04 (OBBBA ยง10108, rewriting 7 U.S.C. 2015(f)) limits SNAP to: U.S. citizens ยท lawful permanent residents (green-card holders) ยท Cuban/Haitian entrants ยท 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. โ ๏ธ 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. ๐ด What to do: Do NOT decide on your own โ 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). ๐ 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.
You may still qualify for these
What to do
Check with your state SNAP office before assuming you're excluded โ they are the ones who decide your case.
OBBBA ยง10108, amending Section 6(f) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2015(f)) ยท 2025-07-04
How to apply
What you'll need
Proof of identity; Maryland residency; a Social Security number for each person applying (noncitizen members who are not applying do not need to provide immigration information); proof of all household income (pay stubs, unemployment, Social Security, etc.); and housing and utility costs plus medical expenses for elderly/disabled members (which can raise your benefit). See DHS/DSS for the exact document list.
Timeline
A regular application generally gets a decision within 30 days. If your household has very low income and little cash/savings, or housing costs above your income, you may qualify for expedited service and get a first benefit within about 7 days. We did not find a Maryland-published standard processing deadline that differs from the federal one, so the 30-day / 7-day expedited baseline reflects federal rules โ rely on DHS/your local DSS.
Go to the official application โmyMDTHINK (mymdthink.maryland.gov, DHS official online application) ยท you can also apply in person or by mail at your local Department of Social Services (DSS) ยท call 2-1-1 or Maryland Hunger Solutions at 1-866-821-5552 for help
Will it affect your green card? (Public charge)
โ SNAP does NOT count in the public charge test โ 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 โ 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.
โ The exclusion is categorical: SNAP has no "long-term institutional care" exception the way Medicaid does โ 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 โ ๐ด 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. ๐ 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 โ rely on the latest official guidance.
Public charge is assessed only for people applying for a visa or admission from abroad, or applying for adjustment of status (a green card) inside the United States.
Many categories are exempt by law: refugees, asylees, VAWA self-petitioners, T and U visa applicants, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ), Cuban/Haitian entrants, Cuban Adjustment Act applicants, Afghan/Iraqi interpreters, certain battered aliens who are "qualified aliens" under PRWORA, applicants for registry, Lautenberg parolees, Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) applicants, and other categories exempted by law.
Public charge is generally not assessed when a green-card holder renews their card or naturalizes; a green-card holder returning from a trip abroad is generally not treated as an applicant for admission and is assessed only in limited cases (for example, an absence of more than 180 days).
This is information only, not immigration, legal, or tax advice. Public charge and your personal status are complex โ 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) โ 8 USCIS-PM G.7 / G.3; regulation 8 CFR 212.22(a)(3), 212.21โ212.23; 2022 final rule 87 FR 55472. ยท 2022-12-23
Last checked: 2026-07-21
Policies can change โ 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.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, "food stamps") in other states
Other benefits in Maryland
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