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Iraqi and Afghan immigrants

Revised date
Purpose statement

To explain the rules applicable to Iragi and Afghan Special Immigrants.

WAC 182-503-0535 Washington apple health -- Citizenship and immigration status.

WAC 182-503-0535 Washington apple health -- Citizenship and immigration status.

Effective June 28, 2022

  1. Definitions.
    1. Nonqualified alien means someone who is lawfully present in the United States (U.S.) but who is not a qualified alien, a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national, or a qualifying American Indian born abroad.
    2. Qualified alien means someone who is lawfully present in the United States and who is one or more of the following:
      1. A person lawfully admitted for permanent residence (LPR).
      2. An abused spouse or child, a parent of an abused child, or a child of an abused spouse who no longer resides with the person who committed the abuse, and who has one of the following:
        1. A pending or approved I-130 petition or application to immigrate as an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen or as the spouse of an unmarried LPR younger than 21 years of age.
        2. Proof of a pending application for suspension of deportation or cancellation of removal under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
        3. A notice of prima facie approval of a pending self-petition under VAWA. An abused spouse's petition covers his or her child if the child is younger than 21 years of age. In that case, the child retains qualified alien status even after he or she turns 21 years of age.
      3. A person who has been granted parole into the U.S. for one year or more, under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 212 (d)(5), including public interest parolees.
      4. A member of a Hmong or Highland Laotian tribe that rendered military assistance to the U.S. between August 5, 1964, and May 7, 1975, including the spouse, unremarried widow or widower, and unmarried dependent child of the tribal member.
      5. A person who was admitted into the U.S. as a conditional entrant under INA Section 203 (a)(7) before April 1, 1980.
      6. A person admitted to the U.S. as a refugee under INA Section 207.
      7. A person who has been granted asylum under INA Section 208.
      8. A person granted withholding of deportation or removal under INA Section 243(h) or 241 (b)(3).
      9. A Cuban or Haitian national who was paroled into the U.S. or given other special status.
      10. An Amerasian child of a U.S. citizen under 8 C.F.R. Section 204.4(a).
      11. A person from Iraq or Afghanistan who has been granted one of the following:
        1. Special immigrant status under INA Section 101 (a) (27);
        2. Special immigrant conditional permanent resident; or
        3. Parole under Section 602 (b) (1) of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 or Section 1059(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2006.
      12. An Afghan granted humanitarian parole between July 31, 2021, and September 30, 2022, their spouse or child, or a parent or guardian of an unaccompanied minor who is granted parole after September 30, 2022, under Section 2502 of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act of 2021.
      13. A Ukrainian or a non-Ukrainian person who habitually resided in the Ukraine who, under section 401 of the Additional Ukrainian Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022 (AUSAA), was granted parole:
        1. Between February 24, 2022, and September 30, 2023; or
        2. After September 30, 2023, and is:
          1. The spouse or child of a person described in (b)(xiii)(A) of this subsection; or
          2. The parent or guardian of a person described in (b)(xiii)(A) of this subsection who is an unaccompanied minor.
      14. A person who has been certified or approved as a victim of trafficking by the federal office of refugee resettlement, or who is:
        1. The spouse or child of a trafficking victim of any age; or
        2. The parent or minor sibling of a trafficking victim who is younger than 21 years of age. 
      15. A person from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, or the Republic of the Marshall Islands living in the United States in accordance with the Compacts of Free Association. 
    3. U.S. citizen means someone who is a United States citizen under federal law.
    4. U.S. national means someone who is a United States national under federal law.
    5. Undocumented person means someone who is not lawfully present in the U.S.
    6. Qualifying American Indian born abroad means someone who:
      1. Was born in Canada and has at least 50 percent American Indian blood, regardless of tribal membership; or
      2. Was born outside of the United States and is a member of a federally recognized tribe or an Alaska Native enrolled by the Secretary of the Interior under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
  2. Eligibility.
    1. A U.S. citizen, U.S. national or qualifying American Indian born abroad may be eligible for:
      1. Apple health for adults;
      2. Apple health for kids;
      3. Apple health for pregnant women; or
      4. Classic medicaid.
    2. A qualified alien who meets or is exempt from the five-year bar may be eligible for:
      1. Apple health for adults;
      2. Apple health for kids;
      3. Apple health for pregnant women; or
      4. Classic medicaid.
    3. A qualified alien who neither meets nor is exempt from the five-year bar may be eligible for:
      1. Alien medical programs;
      2. Apple health for kids;
      3. Apple health for pregnant women; or
      4. Medical care services.
    4. A nonqualified alien may be eligible for:
      1. Alien medical programs;
      2. Apple health for kids;
      3. Apple health for pregnant women; or
      4. Medical care services.
    5. An undocumented person may be eligible for:
      1. Alien medical programs;
      2. State-only funded apple health for kids; or
      3. State-only funded apple health for pregnant women.
  3. The five-year bar.
    1. A qualified alien meets the five-year bar if he or she:
      1. Continuously resided in the U.S. for five years or more from the date he or she became a qualified alien; or
      2. Entered the U.S. before August 22, 1996, and:
        1. Became a qualified alien before August 22, 1996; or
        2. Became a qualified alien on or after August 22, 1996, and has continuously resided in the U.S. between the date of entry into the U.S. and the date he or she became a qualified alien.
    2. A qualified alien is exempt from the five-year bar if he or she is:
      1. A qualified alien as defined in subsections (1)(b)(vi) through (xv) of this section;
      2. An LPR, parolee, or abused person, who is also an armed services member or veteran, or a family member of an armed services member or veteran, as described below:
        1. An active-duty member of the U.S. military, other than active-duty for training;
        2. An honorably discharged U.S. veteran;
        3. A veteran of the military forces of the Philippines who served before July 1, 1946, as described in Title 38 U.S.C. Section 107; or
        4. The spouse, unremarried widow or widower, or unmarried dependent child of an honorably discharged U.S. veteran or active-duty member of the U.S. military.

This is a reprint of the official rule as published by the Office of the Code Reviser. If there are previous versions of this rule, they can be found using the Legislative Search page.

Clarifying Information

Special Immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan are "Qualified Aliens" (see WAC 182-503-0535 (5)(f)) and are eligible for federally-funded Apple Health
to the same extent and for the same time period as refugees. Their eligibility period starts from their date of entry into the United States or, if after the U.S. entry, the date the Special Immigrant status was granted as indicated on the I-551 (green card).

Documentation of Identity, Citizenship, and Immigration Status:

Iraqi or Afghan immigrants who were granted Special Immigrant status before entry into the U.S. (Primary Applicant, Spouse, and/or Unmarried Children under 21) have the following USCIS documentation:

  • Iraqi or Afghan passport stamped with one of the following Immigrant Visa (IV) codes: SI1, SI2, SI3, SQ1, SQ2, SQ3 and,
  • Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stamp or notification on passport or I-94 showing date of entry.

Iraqi or Afghan immigrants who were granted Special Immigrant status after entry into the U.S. (Primary Applicant, Spouse, and/or Unmarried Children under 21) have the following USCIS documentation.

  • Iraqi or Afghan passport stamped with one of the following Immigrant Visa (IV) codes: SI6, SI7, SI8, SQ6, SQ7, SQ8 or,
  • DHS Form I-551 ("green card") showing Iraqi or Afghan nationality.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding eligibility or how to process a case, please email hcawahrmaapps@hca.wa.gov or call 1-855-682-0798.

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