Citizenship and FEMA Eligibility

FEMA is committed to helping all eligible Tennessee households recover from Tropical Storm Helene, including U.S. citizens, non-U.S. citizen nationals or qualified non-citizens.

You or a member of your household must be a U.S. citizen, non-U.S. citizen national or qualified non-citizen to apply for FEMA assistance. Families with diverse immigration status, including adults who are undocumented, can apply as long as at least one family member is a citizen, non-U.S. citizen national or qualified non-citizen. For instance, if you are undocumented and have a child under 18 who is a U.S. citizen and lived in the household during the time of the disaster, you may apply for FEMA assistance.

A qualified non-citizen includes:

• Legal permanent resident ("green card" holder)
• An asylee, refugee, or a non-citizen whose deportation is being withheld
• Non-citizen paroled into the U.S. for at least one year
• Cuban/Haitian entrant
• Certain non-citizens subjected to extreme cruelty who have been a victim of a severe form of human trafficking, including people with a "T" or "U" visa.

For adults who apply on behalf of a minor child, the child must have a Social Security number and live with the parent or guardian who applies. The parent or guardian will not have to provide any information on their own immigration status or sign any documents regarding their status.

The minor child must be under age 18 as of the first day the major disaster began. In Tennessee, flooding from the Tropical Storm Helene disaster began Sept. 26, 2024.

What if I Still Have Questions?

See Citizenship and Immigration Status Requirements for more information in multiple languages at fema.gov/assistance/individual/program/citizenship-immigration-status.

If you're unsure of your immigration status, talk to an immigration expert to learn if your status falls within the requirements for FEMA disaster assistance.

How to Apply

Tennesseans living in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties can apply for assistance.

• Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish)
• Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. Lines are open every dayand help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service such as Video Relay Service, captioned telephone or other service, you can give FEMA your number for that service.
• Visit any Disaster Recovery Center. For locations and hours, go online to fema.gov/drc.
• Download the FEMA mobile app.

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