No, Medicaid and food stamp recipients aren't eligible for passport fee waiver | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·3 min read
15

The claim: Food stamp recipients can get a free passport

A July 19 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims people receiving certain public benefits can get a necessary international travel document at no cost.

“If you get foodstamps you can get your passport for free!” reads the post.

It was shared nearly 4,000 times in two days. Other versions of the claim, some of which said Medicaid recipients are also eligible, were shared more than a thousand additional times.

Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks

Our rating: False

Receiving public assistance from programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (often referred to as food stamps) or Medicaid does not exempt an applicant from paying passport fees. Only a few circumstances, such as U.S. employees working abroad for official duties, allow for a fee waiver.

Receiving public assistance does not qualify an applicant for a free passport or replacement

The State Department told USA TODAY the claim is false.

Chapter 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations outlines the fee schedule for passport and citizenship services.

“These fees are required by U.S. law with limited exceptions as set forth in the schedule,” said Rachel Arndt, deputy assistant secretary for passport services.

Those exceptions include U.S. employees and their immediate families going abroad for official duties or the immediate family of a deceased service member going out of the country to visit the grave of their loved one. American Red Cross employees going abroad as members of the U.S. Armed Forces and Peace Corps volunteers are also eligible for fee waivers.

Fact check: False claim that Australian government will be enforcing a 'social media passport'

Waivers are also available to people who lost their passports during a disaster listed on the State Department’s website. Recent qualifying events include severe storms and flooding in Vermont, tornadoes in Oklahoma and flooding and landslides in California.

Those who have never had a U.S. passport or lost their passport in a disaster not listed on the website do not qualify for a fee waiver for a replacement. The list of eligible waivers makes no mention of SNAP benefits or Medicaid.

Travelers needing to renew passports can expect extra long waits.
Travelers needing to renew passports can expect extra long waits.

The social media posts reference Form I-912, which is from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services but does not allow people to get free passports.

“(The form) is utilized by the USCIS for immigration services unrelated to U.S. passports, and this form cannot be used to request a waiver of U.S. passport fees,” Arndt said, echoing guidance on the State Department website.

Attorney Michael Wildes, who specializes in immigration and nationality law, described the claims as an "extreme leap of misinformation."

"(Form I-912) is ... meant for foreign nationals entering the United States who lost their passport issued by their home country and seek to enter with just the green card," he said. "It does not waive U.S. passport application fees. USCIS does not issue passports, only the Department of State does that."

The form may be used to waive the "significant filing fees" associated with some immigration services applications, Wildes said. SNAP and Medicaid are each considered a "means-tested benefit" that recipients can use to prove eligibility for fee waivers for eligible applications, according to the Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

The Monmouth County Clerk's Office in New Jersey also warned the public of the false social media claims in posts on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.

USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim of free passports for food stamp recipients | Fact check