food stamps and new EBT card
USCIS has officially announced that the the public charge rule goes into effect on February 24, 2020 except for in the State of Illinois where the rule remains enjoined by a federal court as of January 30, 2020.
USCIS will only apply the public charge rule to applications and petitions postmarked (or submitted electronically) on or after Feb. 24, 2020.
Rules cannot be applied retroactively. As such, the agency has said that it would not consider any application or receipt of any public benefits prior to February 24, 2020.
Applicants should check with their respective states but these programs will now be considered as public benefits:
These benefits are generally not considered public benefits:
The new public charge rules does not apply to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents applying for citizenship, refugees and asylees adjusting status, VAWA self-petitioners, U and T visa applicants (and those adjusting status through these categories), special immigrant juveniles, and certain other groups of non-citizens.
The rule impacts family-based green card applications, employment-based applications, diversity visas and applications for non-immigrant visas. If your case falls into these categories, it is advisable to get your applications post-marked prior to the new deadline.
Failure to do so may lead to the rejection of your application, and may require you to submit new forms, including the not-yet-released I-944 form along with your application.
After February 24, 2020, if you are filing an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485), Petition for Non Immigrant Worker (I-129), or an Application for Change/Extension of Status and you are subject to the public charge ground of inadmissibility, you would be required to file a Form I-944
Photo Credit: USDA
In a landmark decision, Congress passed the Laken Riley Act, which is expected to be…
The Trump administration has reversed a decision by President Joe Biden that extended deportation protections…
On January 20 and 21, 2025, President Trump signed multiple executive orders impacting U.S. immigration…
A federal judge in Texas has struck down the Biden administration's "Keeping Families Together" program,…
There's a silver-lining here for immigration advocates. We have always known that the Democrats will…
Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new actions to provide temporary immigration reprieve to…
View Comments