Chapter 3 - Applicability
In general, the public charge ground of inadmissibility at Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 212(a)(4) applies to an applicant who is applying for a visa, admission, or adjustment of status.[1] A noncitizen applying for a visa, admission, or adjustment of status must establish that they are not inadmissible under any ground of inadmissibility including the public charge ground.[2] If a noncitizen is exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility, this ground of inadmissibility does not apply to them.[3]
A. Applicants for Admission
The public charge ground of inadmissibility[4] generally applies to applicants for admission[5] as an immigrant[6] or a nonimmigrant unless they are specifically exempted by statute or regulations.[7] U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspects applicants for admission to the United States. When an applicant for admission demonstrates that they are admissible, the applicant may be permitted to enter the United States as an immigrant or nonimmigrant.[8]
1. Nonimmigrants
Under INA 212(a)(4), any noncitizen who is applying for a visa or for admission to the United States as a nonimmigrant is inadmissible if they are likely at any time to become a public charge. A noncitizen applies directly to a U.S. consulate or embassy abroad for a nonimmigrant visa to travel to the United States temporarily for a limited purpose, such as to visit for business or tourism.[9] Department of State (DOS) consular officers assess whether the noncitizen is inadmissible and therefore ineligible for a visa, including under the public charge ground of inadmissibility, as applicable.[10] Eligible noncitizens may also apply for admission as a nonimmigrant without a visa under, for example, the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).[11]
Once DOS issues the nonimmigrant visa, or the prospective traveler has obtained any required pre-travel authorization from CBP, the noncitizen generally may travel to the United States using that visa or travel authorization, if applicable, and apply for admission at a port of entry. CBP then determines whether the applicant for admission is inadmissible under any ground, including public charge.
2. Immigrants
A noncitizen who is abroad and is the beneficiary of an approved immigrant visa petition may apply to DOS for an immigrant visa to allow them to travel to the United States and seek admission to the United States as an immigrant.[12] As part of the immigrant visa process, DOS determines whether the applicant is eligible for the visa, which includes a determination of whether the noncitizen has demonstrated that they are not inadmissible under any of the applicable grounds in INA 212.
Once DOS issues the immigrant visa, the noncitizen may travel to the United States and seek admission as an immigrant at a port of entry. CBP determines whether the applicant for admission as an immigrant is inadmissible under any ground, including public charge.[13]
3. Certain Lawful Permanent Residents Returning to the United States
Lawful permanent residents (LPRs) generally are not considered to be applicants for admission, and therefore are not subject to inadmissibility determinations upon their return from a trip abroad. However, in certain limited circumstances, an LPR is considered an applicant for admission and, therefore, subject to an inadmissibility determination upon the LPR’s return to the United States.[14] This inadmissibility determination includes whether the noncitizen is inadmissible under the public charge ground of inadmissibility.
B. Applicants for Adjustment of Status
Unless they are specifically exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility, the public charge ground of inadmissibility will generally apply to all applicants for adjustment of status, including, but not limited to:
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Family-based applicants;
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Employment-based applicants; and
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Diversity visa applicants.
C. Exemptions
The public charge ground of inadmissibility does not apply, based on statutory or regulatory authority, to the following applicants for visas, admission, and adjustment of status:[15]
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Amerasian immigrants at admission;[18]
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Afghan and Iraqi interpreters or Afghan and Iraqi nationals employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government;[19]
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Cuban and Haitian entrants at adjustment of status;[20]
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Applicants seeking adjustment under the Cuban Adjustment Act;[21]
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Nicaraguans and other Central Americans who are adjusting status to LPR;[22]
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Haitians who are adjusting status to LPR;[23]
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Lautenberg parolees;[24]
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Special immigrant juveniles;[25]
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Applicants for registry;[26]
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Applicants seeking temporary protected status (TPS);[27]
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Certain nonimmigrant ambassadors, ministers, diplomats, and other foreign government officials, and their families;[28]
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Victims of human trafficking (T nonimmigrants);[29]
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Victims of qualifying criminal activity (U nonimmigrants);[30]
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Self-petitioners under the Violence against Women Act (VAWA);[31]
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Certain battered noncitizens who are “qualified aliens” under PRWORA;[32]
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Applicants adjusting status who qualify for a benefit as surviving spouses, children, or parents of military members;[33]
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Noncitizen American Indians born in Canada;[34]
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Noncitizen members of the Texas Band of Kickapoo Indians of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma;[35]
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Nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos applying under the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2001;[36]
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Polish and Hungarian Parolees;[37]
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Certain Syrian nationals;[38]
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Applicants adjusting under the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness (LRIF) law;[39] and
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Any other categories of noncitizens exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility under any other law.[40]
D. Categories of Noncitizens Exempt from the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility Who Must Still Submit Form I-864
Under INA 212(a)(4)(D), certain noncitizens applying to adjust status in an employment-based category are required to submit an Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA (Form I-864). This includes noncitizens whose employment-based petition was filed by a relative of the noncitizen[41] or by an entity in which the noncitizen’s relative has a significant ownership interest.[42]
Congress did not include an exemption from this requirement for noncitizens applying to adjust status in the employment-based category, even for certain categories of noncitizens who are otherwise exempt from the public charge ground of inadmissibility.[43]
Therefore, if a noncitizen in the following categories applies for adjustment of status based on an employment-based petition that requires a Form I-864, these applicants must submit a Form I-864 executed by their petitioning relative (or the relative with significant ownership interest in the petitioning entity):[44]
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Noncitizens who have a pending application that sets a prima facie case for eligibility for T nonimmigrant status;
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Noncitizens who have been granted T nonimmigrant status and are in valid T nonimmigrant status at the time the adjustment of status application is properly filed with USCIS and at the time the adjustment of status is adjudicated;
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Petitioners for U nonimmigrant status;
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Noncitizens who have been granted U nonimmigrant status and are in valid U nonimmigrant status at the time the adjustment of status application is properly filed with USCIS and at the time the adjustment of status is adjudicated;
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Self-petitioners under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); and
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Certain noncitizens who have been battered or subjected to extreme cruelty by a family member in the United States.[45]
Footnotes
[^ 1] See INA 212(a)(4)(A).
[^ 2] See INA 291 and INA 212(a)(4).
[^ 3] See 8 CFR 212.23. See Section C, Exemptions [8 USCIS-PM G.3(C)].
[^ 4] See INA 212(a)(4).
[^ 5] See INA 101(a)(4) and INA 101(a)(13)(A).
[^ 6] A noncitizen, who is a lawful permanent resident (LPR), who travels abroad and seeks to enter the United States again is generally not seeking admission under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). See INA 101(a)(13)(C).
[^ 7] See 8 CFR 212.23. For more information, see Section C, Exemptions [8 USCIS-PM G.3(C)].
[^ 8] See INA 235. See 8 CFR 235. CBP follows CBP guidance on the determination, in accordance with DHS regulations at 8 CFR 212.20 and 8 CFR 212.23.
[^ 9] Certain nonimmigrant classifications are subject to petition requirements, and in such cases USCIS generally must approve a petition before the nonimmigrant applies for a visa. See INA 214. In addition, certain noncitizens are not subject to a visa requirement in order to seek admission as a nonimmigrant. See INA 217. See 8 CFR 212.1.
[^ 10] See INA 221 and INA 222. See 8 CFR 204.
[^ 11] Examples of other ways in which eligible noncitizens may apply for admission as a nonimmigrant without a visa include but are not limited to the Guam-CNMI VWP (see 8 CFR 212.1(q)) as well as certain nationals of Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands, and Mexico in certain situations (see 8 CFR 212.1(a)-(c)).
[^ 12] See INA 221 and INA 222. See 8 CFR 204.
[^ 13] The public charge ground of inadmissibility does not apply to nonimmigrants seeking extension of stay or change of status in the United States.
[^ 14] See INA 101(a)(13)(C). See Volume 7, Adjustment of Status, Part B, 245(a) Adjustment, Chapter 2, Eligibility Requirements, Section A, “Inspected and Admitted” or “Inspected and Paroled,” Subsection 2, Admission [7 USCIS-PM B.2(A)(2)]. An LPR who travels abroad does not undergo another public charge inadmissibility determination upon return to the United States unless CBP determines that the returning LPR is an applicant for admission based on one of the criteria set forth in INA 101(a)(13)(C) (for example, CBP determines that the noncitizen has been absent from the United States for more than 180 days).
[^ 15] See 8 CFR 212.23(a) where DHS has codified this list of exemptions.
[^ 16] See INA 208. See 8 CFR 208.
[^ 17] See INA 207 and INA 209. See 8 CFR 209.2.
[^ 18] See Sections 101(e) and 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1988, Pub. L. 100-202 (PDF), 101 Stat. 1329-183 (December 22, 1987), as amended.
[^ 19] See Section 1059(a)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, Pub. L. 109–163 (PDF), 119 Stat. 3136, 3444 (January 6, 2006), as amended, and Section 602(b), Title VI of the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009, Pub. L. 111-8 (PDF) (March 11, 2009), as amended, and Section 1244(g) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, Pub. L. 110-181 (PDF), 122 Stat. 3, 396 (January 28, 2008), as amended.
[^ 20] See Section 202 of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), Pub. L. 99-603 (PDF), 100 Stat. 3359, 3404 (November 6, 1986), as amended.
[^ 21] See Cuban Adjustment Act, Pub. L. 89-732 (PDF) (November 2, 1966), as amended.
[^ 22] See Sections 202(a) and 203 of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act, Pub. L. 105-100 (PDF), 111 Stat. 2160, 2193 (November 19, 1997), as amended.
[^ 23] See Section 902 of the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998, Pub. L. 105-277 (PDF), 112 Stat. 2681, 2681-538 (October 21, 1998), as amended.
[^ 24] See Section 599E of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-167 (PDF), 103 Stat. 1195, 1263 (November 21, 1989), as amended.
[^ 25] See INA 245(h).
[^ 26] Registry is a section of immigration law that enables certain noncitizens who have been present in the United States since January 1, 1972, the ability to apply for lawful permanent residence even if currently in the United States unlawfully. See INA 249. See 8 CFR 249.
[^ 27] See 8 CFR 244.3. INA 244(c)(2)(ii) authorizes DHS to waive any INA 212(a) ground, except for those that Congress specifically noted could not be waived.
[^ 28] See INA 101(a)(15)(A)(i), INA 101(a)(15)(A)(ii), and INA 102. See 22 CFR 41.21(d). See INA 101(a)(15)(G)(i), INA 101(a)(15)(G)(ii), INA 101(a)(15)(G)(iii), and INA 101(a)(15)(G)(iv).
[^ 29] See INA 245(l). If the applicant is adjusting based on an employment-based petition where the petition is filed by either a qualifying relative or an entity in which such relative has a significant ownership interest (5 percent or more), and the applicant, at both the time of filing and adjudication of the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485), is still in valid T nonimmigrant status, the applicant is not subject to INA 212(a)(4) but is still required to file an Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA (Form I–864). See 8 CFR 213a.2(b)(2).
[^ 30] See INA 101(a)(15)(U) and INA 212(a)(4)(E)(ii). See Section 804 of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Pub. L. 113-4 (PDF), 127 Stat. 54, 111 (March 7, 2013). If the applicant is adjusting based on an employment-based petition where the petition is filed by either a qualifying relative or an entity in which such relative has a significant ownership interest (5 percent or more), and the applicant, at both the time of filing and adjudication of the Form I-485, is still in valid U nonimmigrant status, the applicant is not subject to INA 212(a)(4) but is still required to file Form I–864. See 8 CFR 213a.2(b)(2).
[^ 31] See INA 212(a)(4)(E)(i).
[^ 32] See INA 212(a)(4)(E)(iii). See Section 804 of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Pub. L. 113-4 (PDF), 127 Stat. 54, 111 (March 7, 2013). See Section 431(c) of Pub. L. 104-193 (PDF), 110 Stat. 2105, 2274 (August 22, 1996). See 8 U.S.C. 1641(c).
[^ 33] See Section 1703 of the National Defense Authorization Act, Pub. L. 108-136 (PDF), 117 Stat. 1392 (November 24, 2003) (posthumous benefits to surviving spouses, children, and parents).
[^ 35] See Pub. L. 97-429 (PDF) (Jan. 8, 1983).
[^ 36] See Section 586 of Pub. L. 106-429 (PDF), 114 Stat. 1900, 1900A-57 (November 6, 2000) under 8 CFR 245.21.
[^ 37] Includes certain Polish and Hungarian parolees who were paroled into the United States from November 1, 1989, to December 31, 1991. See Section 646(b) of IIRIRA, Division C of Pub. L. 104-208 (PDF), 110 Stat. 3009-546, 3009-709 (September 30, 1996).
[^ 38] See Pub. L. 106-378 (PDF) (October 27, 2000).
[^ 39] See Section 7611 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, Pub. L. 116-92 (PDF), 113 Stat. 1198, 2309 (December 20, 2019) (Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness), later extended by Section 901 of Division O, Title IX of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Pub. L. 116-260 (PDF), 134 Stat. 1182, 2155 (December 27, 2020) (Adjustment of Status for Liberian Nationals Extension).
[^ 40] For the most comprehensive list and description of the exemptions, see 8 CFR 212.23(a).
[^ 41] Relatives include spouse, parents, children, adult sons or daughters, brothers, and sisters. See 8 CFR 213a.1. An affidavit of support under this section is not required, however, if the relative is a brother or sister of the intending immigrant, unless the brother or sister is a citizen. See 8 CFR 213a.2(a)(2)(i)(C).
[^ 42] Significant ownership interest means an ownership interest of 5 percent or more in a for-profit entity that filed an immigrant visa petition to accord a prospective employee an immigrant status under INA 203(b). See 8 CFR 213a.1.
[^ 43] See INA 212(a)(4)(E).
[^ 44] See 8 CFR 212.23(b).
[^ 45] See INA 212(a)(4)(E)(iii). The list of “qualified aliens” included in this exemption is described in 8 U.S.C. 1641(c). See 8 CFR 212.23(b).