Learn more about how public charge and affidavits of support are related.

"PUBLIC CHARGE" IS A TERM USED by U.S. immigration officials to refer to a person who is considered primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by either receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance or institutionalization for long-term care at government expense. Where this consideration applies, an immigrant who is found to be "likely . . . to become a public charge" may be denied admission to the U.S. or lawful permanent resident status.

Materials by NILC & California Immigrant Policy Center

Federal Guidance on Public Charge: When Is It Safe to Use Public Benefits?

National edition (revised 5/1/09, PDF)

California edition (revised 5/1/09, PDF)

 

 

Inmigrantes y la clasificación de “carga pública”
(4-page Q & A pamphlet for advocates and service providers)

National edition - Spanish (3/10, PDF)

 

 

Will Using Benefits Hurt My Chances of Getting a Green Card or Becoming a U.S. Citizen?

By the Asian Pacific American Legal Center for the California Immigrant Policy Center and a consortium of national groups (2-page flyer for client outreach).

California version: All brochures except "Chinese" dated 4/12/02; Chinese brochure dated 8/23/06. Links to "Lao" and "Thai" are to PDF files posted on the website of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California.

Chinese

English

Lao

Samoan

Spanish

Tagalog

Thai 

Vietnamese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Materials by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Public Charge Fact Sheet (April 2011)

Public Charge Web Page (Sept. 2009)

Public Charge Fact Sheet (Nov. 2009)

Public Charge Q's & A's (Sept. 2009)

Field Guidance on Deportability and Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds
(64 FR 28689, Mar. 26, 1999)(from Federal Register website)