The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a final rule that amends DHS regulations, effective October 15, 2019.
This final rule amends DHS regulations by prescribing how DHS will determine whether an alien applying for admission or adjustment of status is inadmissible to the United States under section 212(a)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA or the Act), because he or she is likely at any time to become a public charge. The final rule includes definitions of certain terms critical to the public charge determination, such as “public charge” and “public benefit,” which are not defined in the statute, and explains the factors DHS will consider in the totality of the circumstances when making a public charge inadmissibility determination.
The final rule also addresses USCIS' authority to issue public charge bonds under section 213 of the Act in the context of applications for adjustment of status. Finally, this rule includes a requirement that aliens seeking an extension of stay or change of status demonstrate that they have not, since obtaining the nonimmigrant status they seek to extend or change, received public benefits over the designated threshold, as defined in this rule.
The rule does not apply to U.S. citizens; asylees, refugees, or other vulnerable populations listed as exempt; or aliens for whom DHS has waived inadmissibility.
The rule includes information on Victims of Severe Form of Trafficking in Persons (T) Nonimmigrants Exemption:
DHS has revised several regulatory provisions relating to individuals who have a pending application setting forth a prima facie case for eligibility for T nonimmigrant status, or who are present in the United States in valid T nonimmigrant status. In the proposed rule, DHS provided that T nonimmigrants applying for adjustment of status were subject to the public charge inadmissibility ground and could request a waiver of inadmissibility. DHS has modified the provisions with respect to T nonimmigrants to accurately reflect changes codified by Congress in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013).[20] DHS has revised the public charge inadmissibility exemption provision proposed in the NPRM and created new provisions to align these regulations with the changes to the law made by VAWA 2013. T nonimmigrants applying for adjustment of status will no longer need to submit a waiver of inadmissibility for public charge purposes.
Access the full Federal Register Notice .