Major Benefit Programs Available to Immigrants in California (Table)

This table lists the programs for which certain immigrants residing in California are eligible. Originally published in May 2017.

Published Feb 12, 2026

Updated Jul 21, 2026

This table lists the programs for which certain immigrants residing in California are eligible.

Eligibility criteria are provided for the following categories of immigrants:

  1. “Qualified” immigrants who entered the U.S. before Aug. 22, 1996;
  2. “Qualified” immigrants who entered the U.S. on or after Aug. 22, 1996; and,
  3. “Not qualified” immigrants.

An important feature of the table is that it provides notes about how “deeming” rules apply to immigrants who are eligible for different programs. “Deeming” refers to the fact that an immigrant’s sponsor’s income/resources may be added to the immigrant’s when determining the immigrant’s eligibility for certain programs.

*For footnotes and bibliography, please reference the PDF version of this resource below.

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