Non-Citizen Use of Welfare by Region and Country of Birth

This report uses the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC) to examine welfare use (means-tested anti-poverty programs) for households headed by non-citizens in the U.S. by country and region of birth. Non-citizens in the CPS ASEC are primarily lawful permanent residents and illegal immigrants. The CPS ASEC provides the most detailed information on welfare use by country of birth of any government survey, which is the focus of this analysis. We find that use of means-tested programs is high for non-citizens from many sending countries and regions. We also find significant variation in program use across countries that is closely linked to educational attainment.