130 CMR 504.003
Immigrants
(A) Lawfully Present Immigrants. Qualified noncitizens, qualified noncitizens barred, and
nonqualified individuals lawfully present are considered lawfully present immigrants. The
applicable coverage for qualified noncitizens, qualified noncitizens barred, and nonqualified
individuals lawfully present is listed in 130 CMR 504.006.
(1) Qualified Noncitizens. There are two groups of qualified noncitizens:
(a) those who are qualified regardless of when they entered the U.S. or how long they
had a qualified status. Such individuals are
1. persons granted asylum under section 208 of the INA;
2. Refugees admitted under section 207 of the INA;
3. persons whose deportation has been withheld under section 243(h) or 241(b)(3) of
the INA, as provided by section 5562 of the federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997;
4. veterans, their spouses, and their children
a. veterans of the United States Armed Forces with an honorable discharge not
related to their noncitizen status;
b. Filipino war veterans who fought under U.S. command during WWII;
c. Hmong and Highland Lao veterans who are admitted for legal permanent
residence (LPR) and who fought under U.S. command during the Vietnam War;
d. persons with noncitizen status on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, other
than active duty for training; or
e. the spouse, unremarried surviving spouse, or unmarried dependent children of
the noncitizen described in 130 CMR 504.003(A)(1)(a)4. a. through d.;
5. Conditional Entrants under section 203(a)(7) of the INA in effect before April 1,
1980;
6. persons who entered as Cuban/Haitian entrants under section 501(e) of the
Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980;
7. Native Americans with at least 50 percent American Indian blood who were born
in Canada, pursuant to section 289 of the INA or other tribal members born in
territories outside of the U.S. pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 450b(e), under Medicaid;
8. Amerasians as described in section 402(a)(2)(A)(i)(V) of the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA);
9. Victims of severe forms of trafficking; and spouse, child, sibling, or parent of the
victim, in accordance with the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of
2000 (Pub. L. 106-386);
10. Iraqi Special Immigrants granted special immigrant status under section
101(a)(27) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, pursuant to section 1244 of
Public Law 110-181 or section 525 of Public Law 110-161;
11. Afghan Special Immigrants granted special immigrant status under section
101(a)(27) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, pursuant to section 525 of Public
Law 110-161; or
12. Migrants from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, and the Republic of Palau who legally reside in the United States pursuant to
a series of treaties with the United States known as the Compacts of Free Association
(COFA), under Medicaid.
a. COFA migrants who adjust to legal permanent residence (LPR) status will
have a special five-year bar rule applied. The individual will be subject to the
special five-year bar rule unless they also have or had a status listed at 130 CMR
504.003(A)(1)(a). The special five-year bar rule that applies will depend upon the
date the individual adjusted to LPR status.
b. COFA migrants who adjust to LPR status after the change of law on
December 27, 2020, will be able to use the date they began residing in the United
States as a COFA migrant or December 27, 2020, whichever is later, as the first
day for purposes of meeting the five-year bar.
c. COFA migrants who adjusted to LPR status before the change of law on
December 27, 2020, will have the five-year bar period begin on the date that they
adjusted to LPR.
(b) noncitizens who are qualified based on having a qualified status identified in 130
CMR 504.003(A)(1)(b)1. and who have satisfied one of the conditions listed in 130 CMR
504.003(A)(1)(b)2. Such individuals
1. have one or more of the following statuses:
a. admitted for legal permanent residence (LPR) under the Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA); or
b. granted parole for at least one year under section 212(d)(5) of the INA; or
c. are the battered spouse, battered child, or child of battered parent or parent of
battered child who meets the criteria of section 431(c) of PRWORA; and also
2. satisfy at least one of the three following conditions:
a. they have had a status in 130 CMR 504.003(A)(1)(b)1. for five or more years
(a battered noncitizen attains this status when the petition is accepted as
establishing a prima facie case);
b. they entered the U.S. prior to August 22, 1996, regardless of status at the time
of entry, and have been continuously present in the U.S. until attaining a status
listed in 130 CMR 504.003(A)(1)(b)1.; for this purpose an individual is deemed
continuously present who has been absent from the U.S. for no more than 30
consecutive days or 90 nonconsecutive days prior to attaining a status listed in
130 CMR 504.003(A)(1)(b)1.; or
c. they also have or had a status listed in 130 CMR 504.003(A)(1)(a).
(2) Qualified Noncitizens Barred. Individuals who have a status listed at 130 CMR
504.003(A)(1)(b)1. (Legal Permanent Resident, parolee for at least one year, or battered
noncitizen) and do not meet one of the conditions in 130 CMR 504.003(A)(1)(b)2. Qualified
noncitizens barred, like qualified noncitizens, are lawfully present nonqualified individuals.
(3) Nonqualified Individuals Lawfully Present. Nonqualified individuals lawfully present are
not defined as qualified under PRWORA, 8 U.S.C. 1641, but are lawfully present.
Nonqualified individuals lawfully present are as follows:
(a) are in a valid nonimmigrant status as otherwise defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15) or
otherwise under immigration laws (as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(17));
(b) are paroled into the United States in accordance with 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(5) for less
than one year, except for an individual paroled for prosecution, for deferred inspection or
pending removal proceedings;
(c) belong to one of the following classes:
1. granted Temporary Resident Status in accordance with 8 U.S.C. 1160 or 1255a,
respectively;
2. granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in accordance with 8 U.S.C. 1254a,
and individuals with pending applications for TPS who have been granted
employment authorization;
3. granted employment authorization under 8 CFR 274a.12(c);
4. Family Unity beneficiaries in accordance with section 301 of Public Law 101–
649;
5. under Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) in accordance with a decision made
by the President;
6. granted Deferred Action status, except for applicants or individuals granted status
under Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals Process (DACA);
7. granted an administrative stay of removal under 8 CFR part 241; or
8. beneficiaries of approved visa petitions who have pending applications
for adjustment of status;
(d) have a pending application for asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or for withholding of
removal under 8 U.S.C. 1231, or under the Convention Against Torture Treaty who:
1. have been granted employment authorization; or
2. are younger than 14 years old and have had an application pending for at least 180
days;
(e) have been granted withholding of removal under the Convention Against
Torture Treaty; or
(f) is a child who has a pending application for Special Immigrant Juvenile status as
described in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(J).
(B) Protected Noncitizens. Noncitizens who are not qualified noncitizens as described in 130
CMR 504.003(A)(1) but who are qualified noncitizens barred as described in 130 CMR
504.003(A)(2); nonqualified individuals lawfully present as described in 130 CMR
504.003(A)(3); nonqualified persons residing under color of law (PRUCOLs) as described in 130
CMR 504.003(C); or other noncitizens as described in 130 CMR 504.003(D) and who were
receiving medical assistance or CommonHealth on June 30, 1997, are considered protected
noncitizens and may continue to receive MassHealth regardless of immigration status, if they are
otherwise eligible. This status continues until a determination of ineligibility due to failure to
meet categorical or financial eligibility requirements has been made.
(C) Nonqualified Persons Residing under Color of Law (Nonqualified PRUCOLs). Certain
noncitizens who are not described in 130 CMR 504.003(A) or (B) may be permanently living in
the United States under color of law. The applicable coverage types for nonqualified PRUCOLS
are listed at 130 CMR 504.006. If not otherwise described in 504.003(A) or (B) the following are
considered nonqualified PRUCOLs:
(1) noncitizens living in the United States in accordance with an Indefinite Stay of
Deportation;
(2) noncitizens living in the United States in accordance with an Indefinite Voluntary
Departure;
(3) noncitizens and their families who are covered by an approved immediate relative
petition, who are entitled to Voluntary Departure, and whose departure the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) does not contemplate enforcing;
(4) noncitizens granted Voluntary Departure by the DHS or an Immigration Judge, and
whose deportation the DHS does not contemplate enforcing;
(5) noncitizens living under Orders of Supervision who do not have employment
authorization under 8 CFR 274a.12(c);
(6) noncitizens who have entered and continuously lived in the United States since before
January 1, 1972;
(7) noncitizens granted Suspension of Deportation, and whose departure the DHS does not
contemplate enforcing;
(8) noncitizens with pending applications for asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or for
Withholding of Removal under 8 U.S.C. 1231, or under the Convention Against Torture
Treaty who have not been granted employment authorization, or are under the age of 14 and
have not had an application pending for at least 180 days;
(9) noncitizens granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status or who have a pending
application for this status;
(10) noncitizens who have filed an application, petition, or request to obtain a lawfully
present status that has been accepted as properly filed, but who have not yet obtained
employment authorization and whose departure DHS does not contemplate enforcing; or
(11) any noncitizen living in the United States with the knowledge and consent of the DHS,
and whose departure the DHS does not contemplate enforcing. (These include persons
granted Extended Voluntary Departure due to conditions in the noncitizen’s home country
based on a determination by the U.S. Secretary of State.)
(D) Other Noncitizens. Noncitizens whose status is not described in 130 CMR 504.003(A)
through (C), are considered other noncitizens. The applicable coverage types for other noncitizens
are listed in 130 CMR 504.006.
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