Glossary: Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)

A contract signed by the sponsor that shows that the immigrant applying for a green card is not likely to become dependent on the government for cash welfare or long-term care (nursing homes). There are two types of Affidavits of Support: Old (Traditional) and New (Enforceable).

A trained expert who can help you understand and apply for benefit programs. Their goal is to help you develop a plan for your future and organize your financial life to run as smoothly as possible.

• For questions about work and your Social Security benefits, use Social Security's "Find Help" tool to locate a WIPA project near you. You can also call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 / 1-866-833-2967 (TTY/TDD). The Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) also has Work Incentives Planners (WIPs).
• If you need assistance with your Medicare, the Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program can help. HICAP provides free information and counseling to people with Medicare. You can call HICAP at 1-800-434-0222 or visit the HICAP website.
• If you need assistance with Medi-Cal and have a disability, you can contact Disability Rights California at 1-800-776-5746 or visit their website. You may also be able to get help with Medi-Cal from a local legal aid organization. The Health Consumer Alliance website has a lot of useful information about Medi-Cal, including a web page that can direct you to a local legal organization for assistance.
• If you have questions or need assistance with a program or benefit not listed here, contact an Independent Living Center. Independent Living Centers provide peer support and information on a wide range of topics for people with disabilities.

Formerly called Food Stamps, CalFresh is a county-run, federal program that helps people with low incomes buy food. Nationally the program is called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In California, the benefits are issued monthly on an electronic debit card (EBT) that can be used to buy most foods at many markets and food stores. To apply for CalFresh, go to the Department of Social Services website.

The amount of another person’s income – spouse, sponsor, sponsor’s spouse, parent – that is considered to belong to the individual regardless of whether the person receives this money.

Salaries, wages, tips, professional fees, and other amounts you receive as pay for physical or mental work you perform. This can include things you get in exchange for work instead of wages, such as food, shelter, or other items. Funds received from any other source are not included. (Contrast: unearned income.)

A county program that provides relief to those who are unable to support themselves by their own means, or by friends or relatives, other public funds, or other assistance programs.

A deeming exception for CAPI applicants whose sponsor signed an Old Affidavit of Support. An individual is considered to be indigent if he/she receives less than the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit amount - $943 per month in 2024 for an individual ($1,415 for a couple).

Individuals living within the U.S. with a green card.

Noncitizens who are residing in the United States with the knowledge and permission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This category includes noncitizens:

• Subject to an Order of Supervision
• On whose behalf an immediate relative petition has been approved and who are entitled to voluntary departure
• Who have properly filed an application for an adjustment to lawful permanent resident status
• Granted a stay of deportation
• Granted voluntary departure and who are awaiting issuance of a visa
• In deferred action status
• Who entered and have continually resided in the United States since before January 1, 1972

According to Social Security, you are considered a qualified alien if the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says you are in one of these categories:

• Lawfully Admitted for Permanent Residence (LAPR) in the United States, including "Amerasian immigrant" as defined in Section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, as amended;
• granted conditional entry under Section 203(a)(7) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) as in effect before April 1, 1980;
• paroled into the United States under Section 212(d)(5) of the INA for a period of at least one year;
• refugee admitted to the United States under Section 207 of the INA;
• granted asylum under Section 208 of the INA;
• deportation is being withheld under Section 243(h) of the INA as in effect before April 1, 1997, or removal is withheld under Section 241(b)(3) of the INA; or
• “Cuban or Haitian entrant” under Section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980 or in a status that is to be treated as a “Cuban or Haitian entrant” for SSI purposes.

A noncitizen who, while outside the U.S. and their home country, was granted permission to enter and live in the U.S. because they had a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country.

Individuals who file a visa petition for themselves, without the assistance of their sponsor, under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). To file a Self-Petition, you must be a victim of abuse.

A person who is:

• Born in one of the 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or Swain’s Island
• Born outside of the U.S. to at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen
• Granted citizenship status by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

When applying for benefits, contact the agency you are applying to to find out what documents are acceptable for proving citizenship.

An individual who is a victim of sex trafficking; or, a victim of the forced or fraudulent recruitment, harboring, transport, or provision of a person for labor or services that subject the person to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.