Citizenship and Immigration Status Requirements for FEMA Assistance

To qualify for FEMA assistance:

• One member of your household must have a Social Security number AND be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified non-citizen.
• A parent or guardian, including people who are undocumented, can apply on behalf of a minor child under age 18 who has a Social Security number AND lives with them.
• The parent or guardian who applies on behalf of a minor child will NOT have to certify their own immigration status as long as there is someone in the household who is a citizen, non-citizen national or qualified non-citizen.

Qualified non-citizens include:

• Legal permanent residents ("green card" holders)
• Non-citizens granted asylum
• Refugees
• Anyone whose deportation is being withheld for at least one year
• Anyone in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons for at least one year
• Non-citizens granted conditional entry (per law in effect prior to April 1, 1980)
• Certain Cuban/Haitian entrants
• Certain non-citizens, their spouses or children who have been battered or subjected to human trafficking, including people with a "T" or "U" visa

How to apply online or by phone:

• Visiting DisasterAssistance.gov
• Calling FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362)
• Using the FEMA app
• If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448.