What barriers do immigrants face in accessing Federal Food Programs?
In addition to the barriers listed above, immigrants face a language barrier when dealing with customer service or completing the application in English. The integrated application, which allows a person to apply for all Federal Food Programs at once, is only available in one language online in half of the states, and applicants must have computer access to print it. Eligibility requirements make it very difficult for immigrants to utilize Federal Food Programs. Most legal immigrants who have become permanent residents of the United States are barred from receiving SNAP during their first five years of residency.
