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Wisconsin Medicaid Fact Sheet Alien Eligibility PDF (38 KB)

The term "alien" refers to non-U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens include those born in the:

• United States

• Puerto Rico

• U.S. Virgin Islands

• Northern Mariana Islands; or

• Guam

U.S. citizens may also be those who are born to a U.S. citizen while abroad, and those who are a naturalized U.S. citizen.

If you do not have U.S. citizenship, but lawfully resided in the United States before August 22, 1996, you may be eligible for Wisconsin Medicaid if you:

• Were lawfully admitted for permanent residence;

• Are a refugee (a person who flees his/her country due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a social group);

• Were granted asylum (by being already in the U.S. when you requested permission to stay);

• Had your deportation withheld;

• Were paroled into the U.S. or granted conditional entry under the immigration law in effect before April 1, 1980;

• Are a Cuban/Haitian entrant; or

• Are an American Indian born in Canada who is at least 50% American Indian by blood, or an American Indian born outside of the U.S. who is a member of a federally recognized American Indian tribe.

If you do not have U.S. citizenship and you lawfully entered this country on or after August 22, 1996, you are not eligible for Wisconsin Medicaid for five years unless you are:

• A refugee (a person who flees his/her country due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a social group);

• An asylee (a person who seeks asylum and is already present in the U.S, when s/he requests permission to stay);

• An alien whose deportation was withheld under the Immigration Naturalization Act (INA) Section 243(h) and such status was granted prior to April 1, 1997;

• An alien whose removal is withheld under INA Section 241(b)(3) on or after April 1, 1997; 

• A Cuban/Haitian entrant; or

• An American Indian born in Canada who is at least 50% American Indian by blood, or an American Indian born outside of the U.S. who is a member of a federally recognized American Indian tribe.

You may also be eligible for Wisconsin Medicaid if you:

• Were lawfully admitted for permanent residence;

• Were paroled into the U.S. on or after August 22, 1996 under the INA Section 212(d)(5);

• Were granted conditional entry under immigration law in effect before April 1, 1980 (INA Section 203(a)(7)); or

• You or your child have been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty in the U.S. and meet other criteria.

To qualify for Wisconsin Medicaid in one of the four categories immediately above, you must also be:

• A resident in the U.S. for at least five years since your date of entry; or

• A non-citizen lawfully residing in the U.S. who is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. armed forces, or the spouse, surviving spouse, or unmarried dependent child of that veteran; or

• A non-citizen lawfully residing in the U.S. who is on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, or the spouse, surviving spouse, or unmarried dependent child of that active duty serviceman; or

• An Amerasian (A person born in Vietnam, after 1962, fathered by a U.S. citizen. Includes his or her spouse, child, or natural mother.)

Ineligible aliens may still be eligible for emergency services if other Medicaid eligibility requirements are met. Be sure to apply for Medicaid after your emergency treatment. An emergency means a medical condition where lack of immediate medical attention results in:

• Serious risk to the patient’s health; or

• Serious harm to bodily functions; or

• Serious dysfunction of a bodily organ or part.

For More Information Call:

• Medicaid at 1-800-362-3002 (TTY and translation services are available).

• The county/tribal social or human services department, W-2 agency or the Medicaid outstation site in your county.

DHS is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. If you have a disability and need to access this information in an alternate format, or need it translated to another language, please contact (608) 266-3465 or (608) 266-2555 TTY. All translation services are free of charge. For civil rights questions call (608) 266-3465 or (608) 266-2555 TTY.

PHC 10055 (9/2001)