247.07 RCA/RMA Eligibility Criteria SR 10-06, 07/10 (FAM-A)

Only the following refugees and non-citizens are eligible for RCA and/or RMA:

• refugee admitted to the U.S. under section 207 of the INA, from date of entry into the U.S. with such status;

• asylee granted such status under section 208 of the INA, from date of INS action to grant asylum;

• Cuban/Haitian entrant under section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act, from date of entry into the U.S. with such status; and

• Amerasian immigrant under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988 (usually the children of Vietnamese women and Americans present in Vietnam during the Vietnam War era), from date of entry into the U.S. with such status.

Permanent Resident Aliens are not eligible for RCA/RMA unless they previously held refugee status.

Individuals must be found ineligible for all other categories of DFA financial and medical assistance before eligibility for RCA and/or RMA is initiated.

RCA/RMA eligibility and benefit allotment criteria align with the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. This means that income and resource limits, deductions, shelter allowances, benefit allotment, lump sum policy, and treatment of income and resources in general, as well as all non-financial criteria, align with the TANF program eligibility and benefit criteria.

Exceptions:

• RCA/RMA applicants do not have to:

- attend the NHEP Orientation as a condition of eligibility;

- have dependent children present in the household;

- fulfill the deprivation of parental support and care requirements associated with the TANF program;

- comply with child support requirements; or

- fulfill NHEP work requirements.

• During the RMA eligibility determination process, only the income the refugee has received to date for the month, as of the date of application, is counted. Do not count anticipated monthly income that the refugee has not yet received during the RMA eligibility determination process.

RMA Applicants Initially Determined Ineligible Due to Earnings

RMA applicants who are initially determined ineligible for RMA due to earnings are eligible for RMA through the 8-month eligibility period if the following two criteria are met:

• the refugee was RMA-eligible once within the previous three months; and

• the month the refugee was eligible for RMA occurred within the refugee’s 8-month eligibility period.

RMA applicants meeting the criteria above are eligible for RMA as of the first month the refugee was retroactively eligible. RMA ends prior to the end of the 8-month period if once the refugee opens for RMA, the refugee becomes ineligible for RMA for any reason other than an increase in earnings.