Marriage, by itself, will not affect your SSI benefits. However, there are three aspects of this situation that you need to consider. First, your spouse will be able to get a green card only if he/she entered the U.S. legally; if not, the marriage will not help him/her to obtain legal status. Second,if your spouse is eligible to adjust status, you will not qualify as the only sponsor of your spouse for a green card. Because you live on a public support, you will have to find a co-sponsor for your spouse who has sufficient income and would agree to sign an affidavit of support. Third, if your spouse becomes a permanent resident, his/her income will be counted to determine the amount you should receive from the SSI; if your spouse will earn enough, it can disqualify you from SSI, Medicaid/Medicare, foodstamps, and other public support.
Answered on Aug 14th, 2013 at 11:53 PM