This paper addresses the important but relatively understudied problem of immigrants' use of transfer payments. First it documents differentials in the propensity of natives and immigrants to receive public assistance income using 1980 census data. Descriptive tabulations revealed considerable differences between Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians in poverty rates, household income, and public assistance usage. Overall, immigrants were found to have only a slightly higher aggregate rate of public assistance recipiency than natives. Multivariate logistic regression analyses, however, revealed that immigrants were, other things equal, considerably less likely than natives to become welfare dependents. Also, except for Vietnam era Indochinese refugees, allegations that recent immigrants use welfare at higher rates than earlier arrivals were unsupported. Findings therefore challenge the popular notion that immigrants prefer welfare to work, and that an amnesty program, such as that proposed in the Simpson legislation, will spawn a rush for public assistance benefits. The findings that low education and limited English skills increase the probability of receiving income transfers suggest that investment in resettlement programs which emphasize improving the employability of new immigrants would help reduce the extent and level of welfare benefits paid to immigrants. Appendices include descriptive tabulations regarding public assistance recipients. (Author/ETS)