California Stimulus Check: Illegal Immigrants Will Also Receive $600 Payments

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a $7.6 billion relief package that will give one-time payments of $600 to the state's residents, including illegal immigrants.

The package, which was signed at Solomon’s Deli in Sacramento, builds on Newsom’s January state budget proposal to provide stimulus checks to millions of lower-income Californians. The package would also include aid for small businesses and waive license renewal fees of businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“As millions of Californians are struggling to make ends meet amid the devastating impacts of this pandemic, we are taking immediate action in partnership with our legislative leaders to provide families and businesses the relief they need,” Newsom said.

“This $7.6 billion of direct relief that we are providing today not only helps support small business but supports some 5.7 million Californians with direct stimulus check relief,” the governor continued.

Some of the 3.8 million checks will go to residents earning less than $30,000 annually. The state government will also provide over 565,000 stimulus payments to people with individual tax identification numbers who did not receive checks from the federal government. Many who qualify in this category are illegal immigrants earning below $75,000.

“Those that have been left behind in the federal stimulus, California is not going to leave you behind,” Newsom said during the Tuesday signing ceremony.

The new package will provide $1,200 checks to ITIN taxpayers who qualify for the state’s EITC. Lower-income households enrolled in the CalWORKS program, SSI/SSP and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants will also get the $600 checks.

Californians may see their stimulus money arrive in the bank accounts four to five weeks after filing their 2020 tax returns with the state Franchise Tax Board. Residents who opt to receive their checks by mail may have to wait as long as seven weeks.

Individuals in the CalWORKS program should expect the payment by mid-April. However, the timing could still change based on the automation process, according to H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the California Department of Finance.

The state of California is still working on the timing and method of distributing stimulus payments to individuals enrolled in SSI and SSP.