The Biden administration ended the use of the new Public Charge rule put into place by the last administration. The 2019 version of the Public Charge rule affected green card applicants and those seeking temporary work status in the U.S. The rule required green applicants to submit an additional, lengthy form and supporting evidence. As a part of the reversal, USCIS no longer requires either. Similarly, USCIS announced it would immediately stop applying the Public Charge rule to all pending applications that would have been subject to it.
Adjustment of Status: Applicants no longer need to submit the declaration of self-sufficiency and its corresponding documents. These documents included household assets, credit reports, medical insurance information, and tax transcripts. If you already submitted this evidence, the government will no longer review it. The government has returned to its prior procedures. Green card applicants will still need a financial sponsor and show they are not likely to become primarily dependent on the government for help.
Temporary Work Status (H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, etc.): The new rule no longer applies to those seeking a change or extension of temporary work status. Applicants no longer need to disclose certain public benefits they may have received. If already submitted, the government will not review information included on the application forms related to the new rule.
This is great news for all immigrant applicants! Applicants no longer face the burdensome requirements of the new rule, nor the associated costs. Gone are the lengthy forms, the additional probing questions, and the pages of financial evidence. This will make the process smoother for many people. We are happy to see the government once again helping immigrants rather than creating additional hurdles.