How does the USCIS decide whether or not someone is a public charge?
The USCIS should look at your entire life situation to decide if you are likely to rely on public benefits in the future. Although the USCIS can look at whether you used benefits in the past, the USCIS cannot make its decision based only on what happened in the past. The USCIS should look at all of the following factors together to decide whether you might become a public charge in the future: · Age (are you elderly or very young, and likely to need support?) · Health (do you have an illness that requires costly treatment?) · Income (are you poor with no assets?) · Family size (do you have a large family to support?) · Education and skills (are you working now or can you easily find a job?) The USCIS may ask you questions to see if you are likely to rely on public benefits in the future. It is important that you tell the USCIS any reasons why you should not need public benefits, in the future. For example, if you are elderly, but you have family in the U.S. with enough money to support
