Citizenship Requirements: Survivors Registering for Federal Assistance

FEMA is committed to helping all eligible disaster survivors recover from Hurricane Sally, including U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals and qualified aliens.

To qualify for assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP), you or a member of your household must be U.S. citizen, non-U.S. citizen national or qualified alien. However, undocumented families with diverse immigration status only need one family member (including a minor child) who is a citizen and has a Social Security number to apply. The deadline to register for federal assistance is December 1, 2020.

A qualified alien includes the following:

• Legal permanent resident (“green card” holder);
• An asylee, refugee, or an alien whose deportation is being withheld;
• Alien paroled into the U.S. for at least one year • Alien granted conditional entry (per law in effect prior to April 1, 1980);
• Cuban/Haitian entrant;
• Aliens in the U.S. who have been abused, subject to battery or extreme cruelty by a spouse or other family/ household member, or have been a victim of a severe form of human trafficking;
• Aliens whose children have been abused and alien children whose parent has been abused who fit certain criteria.

If you’re unsure of your immigration status, talk to an immigration expert to learn if your status falls within the qualified alien category.

Qualified Minor Child

Adults who don’t qualify under one of the three categories above, including the undocumented, can apply on behalf of a minor child who does qualify and has a Social Security number. A minor child must live with the parent or guardian applying on their behalf. No questions about citizenship status will be asked.

Voluntary Organizations

Voluntary organizations also offer help regardless of citizenship status. To find voluntary organizations in your disaster area:

• Call 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or look up online at https://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter.html.
• Visit https://www.nvoad.org/our-members/ to learn more about other voluntary organizations.

Survivors in affected counties can register with FEMA in the following ways:

• Visit DisasterAssistance.gov
• Download the FEMA App
• Call 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel should provide FEMA with their specific phone number assigned to that service.