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Regla de carga pública

Updated September 23, 2020


In August 2019, the federal government announced a new rule related to when certain immigrants might be considered a Public Charge under immigration law. The rule seeks to prevent some immigrants from getting legal permanent resident status (also known as a green card) or a visa if they use certain public benefits or the federal government believes they are likely to depend on public benefits in the future.

This page contains general information about Public Charge and how New Yorkers can get further information and assistance. The information below is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice.

Lo que debe saber

  • Following a federal court decision to allow the new Public Charge rule to again take effect, USCIS announced on September 22, 2020, that it will apply the new rule to all applications and petitions postmarked or submitted electronically on or after February 24, 2020.
  • New Yorkers should not stop using public benefits unnecessarily. The Public Charge rule does not change eligibility requirements for public benefits. Many immigrants do not face a Public Charge test in their immigration applications.
  • There is no Public Charge test for green card holders applying for citizenship.
  • Immigrants who are sponsoring a family member abroad, or will be traveling abroad to apply for a green card or visa, should know there is also a Public Charge policy at U.S. consulates.  However, as of July 29, 2020, a federal court has blocked for now implementation of the new public charge rules at U.S. consulates abroad.
  • All New Yorkers in need of medical care, food assistance, and other benefits and services should seek the help they need without fear. Many health and social services—including COVID-19 testing and care, food assistance, tenant protection, and free legal help—are available to New Yorkers regardless of immigration status, ability to pay, or employment status. View more information or call 311 to learn about available services and resources in your language.

Obtenga acceso a servicios legales gratuitos y a información adicional

  • Immigrant New Yorkers who are concerned about Public Charge can get help to make the best decisions for themselves and their families by calling the ActionNYC hotline at 1-800-354-0365 and saying “public charge.” Call the hotline Monday to Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., to get answers to questions about public charge and how accessing certain public benefits may affect immigration status.
  • The ActionNYC hotline provides timely and trusted information, connections to City-funded, free and safe immigration legal help, and referrals to other legal and non-legal services.
    • La línea directa es gratis y anónima.
    • Hay asistencia disponible en más de 200 idiomas.

 

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What is Public Charge?

Under previous policy, a Public Charge was someone who relied on cash assistance or institutionalized long-term care from the government to survive. The only benefits that could be considered under the previous Public Charge test were:

  • Seguridad de Ingreso Suplementario (Supplemental Security Income, SSI)
  • Asistencia Temporal para Familias Necesitadas (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, TANF)
  • Asistencia en efectivo estatal y local para el mantenimiento de los ingresos
  • Internación para la atención a largo plazo a expensas del gobierno

Además del uso de estos beneficios públicos, la ley federal también requiere que el gobierno considere una serie de factores, que incluyen la edad, la salud, el estado familiar, los bienes, los recursos, el estado financiero, la educación y las habilidades, para determinar si es probable que alguien se convierta en una "carga pública".

On August 14, 2019, the federal government published a new Public Charge rule.

Under the new Public Charge rule, the federal government will consider certain additional types of public benefits, and look at other factors differently.

Does the new Public Charge rule change affect eligibility requirements for public benefits?

No. Eligibility requirements for public benefits and programs will not change as a result of the new Public Charge rule.

What is the new Public Charge rule?

Under the new Public Charge rule, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will:

  • Consider more types of public benefits when administering the Public Charge test. Under the new rule, an immigration official will consider more benefits, such as non-emergency Medicaid (with some exceptions), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and housing assistance (such as public housing or Section 8 housing vouchers and rental assistance).
  • Examinar de modo diferente otros factores.La nueva regla provee un nuevo marco para que el gobierno federal considere factores como edad, educación, historial de empleo, ingresos, bienes y afecciones de salud de una persona, entre otros, para determinar si es probable que un inmigrante se convierta en una "carga pública" en el futuro, aunque la persona nunca haya recibido beneficios en el pasado.

Tengo hijos o familiares en mi grupo familiar que utilizan algunos de estos beneficios. ¿Eso podría perjudicar mi solicitud de inmigración?

No. Under the new rule, for individuals applying for a green card or visa within the United States, public benefits or programs used by the applicant's children or family members will not be counted against the applicant in the Public Charge test unless the applicant is a beneficiary of those benefits or programs.

However, under the new rule, federal officials will use a new framework to consider factors like age, family size, household income, and assets in determining whether certain immigrants are likely to use benefits in the future.

Tengo hijos o familiares en mi grupo familiar que utilizan algunos de estos beneficios. ¿Eso podría perjudicar mi solicitud de inmigración?

No. Según la nueva regla, para las personas que soliciten una tarjeta verde o una visa desde los Estados Unidos, no se tomarán en cuenta beneficios públicos ni programas utilizados por los hijos o familiares del solicitante contra el solicitante en la evaluación de "carga pública" a menos que el solicitante sea beneficiario de esos beneficios o programas.

Sin embargo, según la nueva regla, los funcionarios federales utilizarán un nuevo marco para considerar factores tales como edad, tamaño de la familia, ingreso del grupo familiar y bienes para determinar si ciertos inmigrantes podrían usar los beneficios en el futuro.

Soy un refugiado. ¿La carga pública se aplica en mi caso?

No. Under both current law and the new rule, there is generally no Public Charge test if you are a refugee or asylee. There are also other statuses not listed here that may not be subject to public charge. See below for information on how to get your questions answered, and connect to free legal services.

I have questions about how Public Charge might apply to me. How can I get legal help?

You can call the ActionNYC hotline at 1-800-354-0365 and say “public charge” Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, to learn more and get answers to your questions.

  • Get connections to City-funded, free and safe immigration legal help and referrals to other legal and non-legal services.
  • La línea directa es gratis y anónima.
  • Hay asistencia disponible en más de 200 idiomas.

Recursos adicionales

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Evaluaciones e informes

Fact Sheet: SNAP Enrollment Trends in New York City (Hoja informativa: Tendencias de inscripción en SNAP en la ciudad de Nueva York)

Junio de 2019
Descargue la hoja informativa

Expanding Public Charge Inadmissibility: The Impact on Immigrants, Households, and the City of New York (Expansión de la inadmisibilidad de la carga pública: el impacto en los inmigrantes, los núcleos familiares y la ciudad de Nueva York)

Diciembre de 2018
Descargue el resumen de la investigación