Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): The Basics
To get the monthly CAPI cash benefit, you must:
- Be a California resident
- Be 65 or older, blind, or have a disability
- Be a legal immigrant
- Have limited income and resources, and
- Be unable to get federal SSI benefits because of your immigration status (and for no other reason).
People who get SSI payments in California also get a smaller State Supplemental Payment (SSP), and the CAPI monthly payments are the same amount as the combined SSI/SSP. For most people, the maximum possible CAPI benefit is $954.72 for an individual and $1,598.14 for a couple. (If you're blind, the maximum is $1,011.23 for an individual or $1,749.19 for a couple.)
Note: Maximum benefits amounts depend on your situation. Click here for a table listing current CAPI benefit amounts.
The best way to apply for CAPI depends on which California county you live in. For details, contact your local county social services agency.
If you get CAPI, you might also be able to get other benefits like CalFresh (formerly Food Stamps), Medi-Cal health insurance, or In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). However, you must apply to get any of these benefits; you do not get them automatically just becasue you get CAPI.
The federal SSI program used to give a monthly cash benefit to legal immigrants who are over 65, blind, or have a disability, and have no income and few resources to pay for their basic needs. SSI rules changed in the 1990s, and some legal immigrants can no longer get this SSI. California created CAPI to help people who can’t get SSI benefits only because of their immigration status.
An expert Benefits Planner can help you understand and apply for CAPI and other programs. Their goal is to help you develop a plan for your future, and organize your finances to run as smoothly as possible.
View DB101's full list of experts who can help you understand different benefits.
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): The Details |
Eligibility
CAPI gives a monthly cash payment to legal immigrants in California who can't get federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits only because of their immigration status.
To get CAPI, you must:
- Be a California resident
- Be 65 or older, blind, or have a disability
- Have limited income and resources, and
- Not be able to get federal SSI benefits because of your immigration status (and for no other reason).
Note: You need to have applied for SSI in the six months before applying for CAPI and have proof of being turned down for SSI because of your immigration status. If you have not yet applied for SSI, you must apply for SSI before your CAPI application can be approved. (You can apply for SSI and CAPI at the same time.)
If you do get CAPI benefits and your income, resources, immigration status,marital status, living situation, or sponsorship changes, you must notify CAPI. And at least every 12 months CAPI will ask you to fill out a redtermination form showing that you continue to qualify to get CAPI.
People Not Eligible For CAPI Benefits
You cannot get CAPI benefits if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen
- Get SSI
- Live in a public hospital, jail, or other public institution for a calendar month
- Do not live in California
- Do not follow the program rules
- Do not apply to get other benefit programs that might help you
- Are a fleeing felon, or
- Violate your probation or parole.
Sponsor Deeming
If you have a sponsor who signed an affidavit of support when you entered the U.S. as a permanent resident, it might make it harder for you to get CAPI. When CAPI looks at your income and resources to see if you qualify, your sponsor’s income and resources may be added to yours in a process called deeming.
For example, if you have $500 in countable resources and your sponsor has $1,000 in countable resources, CAPI adds the two together and says you have $1,500 in countable resources, even if your sponsor does not give you any of the money.
The CAPI deeming rules are complex. Your sponsor's income and resources are deemed to you whether or not your sponsor actually gives them to you. How much of your sponsor’s income and resources are deemed to you and for how long depends on:
- When you entered the country
- What type of affidavit of support your sponsor signed, and
- Whether or not your sponsor is dead, disabled, or abusive.
If you can’t afford food, clothing, or shelter, you may be able to avoid sponsor deeming through the indigence exception.
Your sponsor's income and resources won’t be deemed to you if your sponsor abused you or your child. How long you are exempt from sponsor deeming depends on which petition was filed with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
If your sponsor is married, their income and resources are also deemed to you. If you have a husband or wife who cannot get CAPI, their income and resources are deemed to you. And if you are applying for CAPI benefits for a child under 18, your income is deemed to the child.
For more details, Legal Services of Northern California offers an overview of sponsor deeming for CAPI, CalFresh (formerly Food Stamps), and other benefits programs.
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): The Details |
Application Process
The best way to apply for CAPI depends on which California county you live in. For details, contact your local county social services agency.
Note: Due to COVID-19, there may be limits on in-person services. Contact your agency by phone to ask about this.
When you apply, you usually need:
- Identification (passport, legal Permanent Resident card, birth certificate, and any other documents)
- Your Social Security number
- Details about your immigration status and your sponsor (if you have one)
- Proof of where you live (a rent or mortgage receipt, a utility bill with your name on it)
- Proof of income (pay stubs, stubs for unemployment or other benefits, pension or annuity records)
- Documents showing your personal resources (like bank statements, vehicle registration, life insurance policies, savings bonds, stock certificates)
You must fill out a number of forms. CAPI needs to know the details about immigration status, living arrangements, and income and resource information for both you and your sponsor. (If you have a sponsor who signed an affidavit of support, CAPI adds your sponsor’s income and resources to yours in a process called deeming. Learn more about the complex CAPI deeming rules.)
You also must show that you have been denied federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits in the past 6 months based only on your immigration status. If you can’t prove this with a copy of a letter from the SSI or other document, or you haven't tried to get SSI yet, you must apply for SSI when you apply for CAPI.
To get CAPI, you also must apply for any other benefit programs that might be able to help you, like CalFresh (formerly Food Stamps), Medi-Cal health insurance, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), State Disability Insurance (SDI), Veterans Benefits, or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). You must apply to get any of these benefits; you do not get them automatically just becasue you get CAPI.
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): The Details |
- The Basics
- The Details
- Eligibility
- Application
- CAPI and Immigration Status
- Your Resources and Income
- Example
- FAQs
- Pitfalls
- Resources
CAPI and Immigration Status
Changes to federal law made in the 1990s mean that some legal immigrants can no longer get SSI benefits. California set up CAPI to help legal immigrants who:
- Are 65 or older, blind, or have a disability
- Have limited income and resources to pay for basic needs, and
- Can't get SSI because of their immigration status (and for no other reason)
When you enter the country, the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services gives you an immigration status. CAPI is for immigrants classified either as Qualified Aliens or as Permanently Residing Under Color of Law (PRUCOL). The SSI rules changed August 22, 1996, so that date is important in figuring out if you can get CAPI benefits.
If you entered the United States before August 22, 1996, you may be eligible for CAPI if you are:
- A Qualified Alien who is 65 or older, who lawfully resided in the United States on August 21, 1996
- A Qualified Alien who is a victim of battery or abuse, or
- PRUCOL and 65 or older, blind, or have a disability
If you entered the United States on or after August 22, 1996, your sponsorship matters, and CAPI may use a process called deeming to count your sponsor's income and resources when deciding if you can get benefits. You may be eligible for CAPI if you are:
- A Qualified Alien who is 65 or older, blind, or has a disability and whose sponsor (or sponsor’s spouse) is dead, disabled, or abusive
- A Qualified Alien victim of battery or abuse, or
- PRUCOL and 65 or older, blind, or have a disability, and either don’t have a sponsor, or your sponsor isn’t dead, disabled or abusive
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): The Details |
- The Basics
- The Details
- Eligibility
- Application
- CAPI and Immigration Status
- Your Resources and Income
- Example
- FAQs
- Pitfalls
- Resources
Your Resources & Income
In addition to your immigration status, CAPI looks at your resources (the things you own) and income when deciding if you can get benefits.
The limits on how much you can have and still get CAPI are generally the same as they are for the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Like SSI, CAPI does not count all of your income and resources. If the amount that they count is less than the limits, then you can get CAPI benefits.
Resources
CAPI's countable resource limit is $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples. CAPI does not count certain things, like your house and one car, when figuring out if you are under the resource limit. Click here for a list of resource exclusions.
Also, if your disability began before you turned 26, you can open an ABLE account, where over time you can save up to $100,000 and not have it counted by CAPI. Learn more about ABLE accounts.
Countable Income
Income limits are used to decide if you can get CAPI benefits and also how much you will get. The process is similar to SSI’s countable income calculation, and includes earned, unearned, and deemed income. (For a detailed look at how SSI counts income, see DB101's SSI article.)
CAPI compares your countable income to the maximum CAPI benefit amount a person in your situation can get. If your countable income is greater than the maximum benefit amount, then you can’t get CAPI benefits. For most people, the maximum possible monthly CAPI benefit is $954.72 for an individual and $1,598.14 for a couple. If you're blind, the maximum is $1,011.23 for an individual or $1,749.19 for a couple. The maximum for a child under 18 with a disability is $859.15. (Note: Maximum benefits amounts also depend on your living situation. Click here for a table listing current CAPI benefit amounts.)
If you’re single and you have $1,000 in countable income, you can't get CAPI because $1,000 is more than the maximum CAPI benefit ($954.72 for individuals).
If your countable income is less than $954.72, then you can get CAPI, and the difference between the two amounts is your benefit amount. For example, if you qualify for a maximum of $954.72 from CAPI and you have $300 of countable income, you’ll get a $654.72 benefit. The amount you’re eligible for is called a payment standard and is based on your living arrangements.
Responsibilities
It’s important that you report any changes in your immigration status, income, resources, marital status, living arrangement, and sponsor information. Plus, at least every 12 months CAPI will ask you to fill out a "redetermination" form showing that you continue to qualify to get CAPI.
If CAPI finds out that you didn't tell them about any changes or misled them, they will say it was an overpayment, and make you pay back any extra money. There are ways to not have to pay back an overpayment, but it's better to avoid them instead. Lying or withholding information can also make you lose your CAPI monthly benefit.
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): Example |
He tells the news to his friend, who remembers hearing about a program in California, called CAPI, for people in Carlos’ situation. The friend tells Carlos to go to his local county social services agency and apply.
At the agency, Carlos is assigned a caseworker named Sylvia. Once in her office, Sylvia pulls out a large stack of forms. She notices Carlos looking nervous, and explains that she will help him through the application process.
“The first question when you’re applying for CAPI is whether you were turned down by SSI because of your immigration status,” Sylvia explains.
Carlos pulls out his letter from the Social Security Administration and hands it to Sylvia.
“Okay, great. The next step is finding out about your immigration status. Are you a Qualified Alien or PRUCOL?”
Carlos stares at her blankly. He has no idea what she is talking about. Sylvia realizes how confusing the question is, so she asks Carlos when he came to the country and what he knows about his immigration status.
Carlos looks relieved and explains, “I came to the United States in 1997, and I got my green card in 2002."
“Okay, having a green card means that you are a Qualified Alien, and Qualified Aliens are one of the groups eligible for CAPI," Sylvia says. "Based on your disability, the date you entered the country, and your immigration status, you might be eligible for CAPI, but we first have to look at your income, resources, and living arrangements. We also need to figure out if you will be subject to a process called deeming, where we have to look at your sponsor's resources and income as well as your own. When you came to this country, did you have a sponsor who signed an Affidavit of Support?"
"Yes, but he died a few years ago," Carlos explains.
"Okay, that means we definitely don't have to count his income and resources," Sylvia says. "Do you live alone or with anyone else?”
“I live alone in a small apartment,” Carlos replies.
Sylvia pulls out a chart and runs her finger down one of the columns. “That means that you can have up to $954.72 in countable income. The resource limit is $2,000 for individuals.”
Carlos smiles and explains that he definitely is under those amounts. Sylvia nods her head, and helps Carlos fill out all the CAPI forms.
"Have you already applied for Medi-Cal?" Sylvia asks. "To get CAPI, you have to apply for Medi-Cal and any other cash benefits you might qualify for."
"No, I haven't tried for Medi-Cal yet, and I'm not sure what else to try for," Carlos replies.
Sylvia helps him fill out a Medi-Cal application, and together they go over other possible benefits programs that Carlos might be able to get, and how to apply for them.
A month later, Sylvia calls Carlos and tells him to come back to the office.
“Good news,” Sylvia says, “You’re eligible for CAPI and you’ll get $654.72 a month. Here’s how we figured it out. Each month, you get $100 in unearned income from a cousin who is helping you out, and $505 of earned income from your part-time job. We used the Countable Income Calculation to figure out how much of that CAPI would count.”
“What’s the Countable Income Calculation?” Carlos asks.
Sylvia replies, “First we take your monthly unearned income and subtract $20. The figure we get, in your case $80, is your Countable Unearned Income."
$100 | Monthly Unearned Income | ||
- | $20 | General Income Exclusion | |
|
|||
$80 | Countable Unearned Income |
"Next, we take your monthly earned income, subtract $65, and divide the remainder by two. This figure, in your case $220, is your Countable Earned Income."
$505 | Monthly Earned Income | ||
- | $65 | Earned Income Exclusion | |
|
|||
$440 | |||
÷ | 2 | Remainder divided by 2 | |
|
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$220 | Countable Earned Income |
"We added your Countable Earned and Unearned Income to find your Total Countable Income of $300."
$80 | Countable Unearned Income | ||
+ | $220 | Countable Earned Income | |
|
|||
$300 |
Income Counted by CAPI |
"Then we subtract that amount from the appropriate payment standard, and that’s your benefit.”
$954.72 | 2021 Payment Standard for Disabled Individuals | ||
- | $300 | Income Counted by CAPI | |
|
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$654.72 | CAPI Benefit Amount |
“And what about my resources? Am I under the limit?” Carlos asks.
“Easily,” Sylvia answered. “CAPI does not count your car, you don't own a house, and you only have $900 in the bank, so you're under the resource limit of $2,000 for an individual."
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): FAQs |
What is the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)? |
Back to top |
CAPI gives a monthly cash benefit to legal immigrants who are either 65 or older, blind, or disabled, and who do not qualify for the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) because of their immigration status. |
What does CAPI provide, and how long will it last? |
Back to top |
The CAPI monthly payments are the same amount as the combined amounts of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and California's State Supplemental Payment (SSP).
For most people, the maximum possible CAPI benefit is $954.72 for an individual and $1,598.14 for a couple. If you're blind, the maximum is $1,011.23 for an individual or $1,749.19 for a couple. For a child under 18 with a disability, the maximum benefit is $859.15. Note: Maximum benefits amounts depend on your situation. Click here for a table listing current CAPI benefit amounts. You can get CAPI payments for as long as you meet the requirements. If you get CAPI, at least every 12 months (and possibly more often) you must fill out "redertermination" forms showing that you still qualify for benefits. |
Who can get CAPI? |
Back to top |
To be eligible for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants you must:
In addition, you must:
|
How do I apply for CAPI? |
Back to top |
The best way to apply for CAPI depends on which California county you live in. For details, contact your local county social services agency.
Note: Due to COVID-19, there may be limits on in-person services. Contact your agency by phone to ask about this. To get CAPI, you also must apply for any other benefit programs that might be able to help you, like CalFresh (formerly Food Stamps), Medi-Cal health insurance, In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), State Disability Insurance (SDI), Veterans Benefits, or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). You must apply to get any of these benefits; you do not get them automatically just becasue you get CAPI. |
Are there any medical eligibility requirements to get CAPI? |
Back to top |
Yes. You must meet Social Security’s definitions of disability or blindness if you are applying based on these factors. However, there are no medical eligiblity requirements if you are applying for CAPI based on age (65 and older). |
Does what I have in the bank and/or what I own make a difference in whether I can get CAPI? |
Back to top |
Yes. To get CAPI benefits
|
How does CAPI count my income? |
Back to top |
Like the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, CAPI does not count all of your income. Instead it uses a Countable Income Calculation that includes only some of your unearned income and less than half of your earned income.
|
How soon can I get monthly cash benefits from CAPI? |
Back to top |
If your CAPI application is approved, you should start getting your payment the month after applying for benefits.
If you need help before you get CAPI, you might qualify for General Assistance/General Relief (GA/GR); for details, talk to your caseworker or contact your local county social services agency. Note: Due to COVID-19, there may be limits on in-person services. Contact your agency by phone to ask about this. |
Can I get CAPI if I qualify for the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program? |
Back to top |
No. One of the requirements of CAPI is that you cannot get SSI benefits because of your immigration status (and for no other reason). However, you may be able to get CAPI while your SSI application is being processed. |
Can I qualify for CAPI while I am eligible for Medi-Cal (Medicaid) health coverage? |
Back to top |
Yes. To get CAPI you must apply for any other benefits program that might help you, and that includes Medi-Cal. When you apply for CAPI, you must also apply for Medi-Cal. It is possible to get both CAPI and Medi-Cal, but you do not automatically qualify for Medi-Cal just because you get CAPI. |
How do I stay enrolled/eligible in CAPI? |
Back to top |
To keep getting CAPI benefits, you must continue to meet all the requirements. It’s important that you immediately report any changes in your immigration status, income, resources, marital status, living arrangement, and sponsor information. And at least every 12 months CAPI will ask you to fill out a "redetermination" form showing that you continue to meet all the requirements to get CAPI. |
What is the difference between CAPI and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program? |
Back to top |
Changes to federal laws in the 1990s meant that some legal immigrants could no longer get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. California set up CAPI to help people who meet all the requirements to get SSI except for their immigration status.
When you enter the country, the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services gives you an immigration status. CAPI is for immigrants classified either as Qualified Aliens or as Permanently Residing Under Color of Law (PRUCOL). People who get SSI payments in California also get a smaller State Supplemental Payment (SSP). CAPI monthly payments are the same amount as the combined SSI/SSP. One difference between SSI and CAPI is that people who get SSI automatically qualify for Medi-Cal coverage, but people who get get CAPI must apply separately for Medi-Cal, and might not get it. Learn more about Medi-Cal. |
Are there certain immigration requirements for CAPI? |
Back to top |
To be eligible for CAPI you must be either a:
|
Does the income of my sponsor, my sponsor's spouse, or my spouse get counted when deciding if I can get CAPI? |
Back to top |
Yes. If you entered the U.S.with the support of a sponsor, their income and resources may be counted when deciding if you can get CAPI. This process is called deeming. If your sponsor has a spouse, the spouse's income and resources may also be deemed to you.
If your husband or wife does not qualify for CAPI, their income and resources are deemed to you. And if you have a child under 18 applying for CAPI benefits, your income and resouces are deemed to that child. See Sponsor Deeming for more details. |
When will my sponsor and sponsor's spouse's income and resources not be counted while deciding if I can get CAPI? |
Back to top |
If you have a sponsor, CAPI looks at their income and resources when deciding if you can get CAPI benefits, using a process called deeming. If your sponsor has a husband or wife, CAPI includes (deems) some of that person's income and resources when deciding if you can get CAPI benefits. It doesn't matter whether your sponsor or their spouse actually gives you anything or not.
Your sponsor's or your sponsor's spouse's income and resources will not be deemed if:
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Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): Pitfalls |
Applying for General Assistance/General Relief (GA/GR) instead of CAPI
Giving up on getting CAPI without applying
Remember that the CAPI application process can be different depending on which California county you live in. Some counties want you to start the application process by phone, others at a county office or by mail. To find out how best to apply in your county, contact your local county social services agency.
Assuming you are eligible for other programs because you qualify for CAPI
Harming your chances for permanent residency
Failing to consider sponsor's income
CAPI deeming rules are complex, and vary depending on:
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Which affidavit of support your sponsor signed
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The date you entered the U.S., and
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Whether your sponsor is dead, disabled, or abusive
Confusing Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and CAPI eligibility requirements
Failing to file a Self-Petition if you are a victim of abuse
Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI): Resources |
CAPI Resources |
The North State/Orange CAPI Consortium hotline at 1-800-929-8118 offers recorded CAPI information in several different languages.
The California Department of Social Services provides an overview of CAPI, including links to statutes, policy manuals, and recent notices to all California counties that are specifically about CAPI.
For more detailed information on CAPI:
- The CAPI code is found in the Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 18940.
- The Department of Social Services describes CAPI eligibility requirements in Section 49-001 to 49-070 of its Eligibility and Assistance Manual and interprets these and other laws through its Letters and Notices to All Counties.
- Click here for a table listing current CAPI benefit amounts.
Resources on Immigrants & Benefits |

The California Immigrant Policy Center provides information to policymakers, public officials, students, and community based organizations.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides immigration services and benefits. This includes U.S. citizenship to those who are eligible to naturalize, authorizing individuals to reside in the U.S. on a permanent basis, and providing aliens with the eligibility to work in the United States. The USCIS was formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Getting Help with Your Benefits |
View DB101's full list of experts who can help you understand different benefits.
Community-Based Organizations |
Goodwill Industries services range from personal evaluation and office skills training to career counseling, childcare, and transportation. Some Goodwill Industries centers also do benefits planning for people who get SSI, SSDI, and Medicare. Find locations at www.Goodwill.org, or by calling (voice) 1-800-466-3945.
The California Foundation for Independent Living Centers lists centers serving people with all disabilities. Many of these centers do benefits planning for people who get SSI, SSDI, and Medicare. If they don't offer benefits planning themselves, Independent Living Centers can refer you to local benefits planners. Find the list of independent living centers at www.CFILC.org, or by calling (voice) 1-916-325-1690 or (TTY) 1-916-325-1695.
The California Department of Public Health's Office of AIDS lists 1,300 organizations offering HIV/AIDS services throughout California. Some of these organizations provide case management, benefits planning, and benefits counseling services that can include help with public and private benefits programs. You can search the list online, or call (voice) 1-800-367-AIDS (2437) or (TTY) 1-888-225-AIDS (2437).
Disability Rights California provides representation for consumers of public programs who are disabled. Website publications include topics on health care, benefit programs, and In-Home Supportive Services.