“Public charge” can be a difficult term to understand. For immigration purposes, it is a ground of inadmissibility. Grounds of inadmissibility are reasons that a person could be denied a green card, visa, or admission into the United States. When deciding whether to grant applicants a green card or a visa, an immigration officer must decide whether that person is likely to become dependent on certain government benefits in the future, making them a public charge.

Join our HELS team as we breakdown the meaning of public charge, who it applies to, and what it means to be inadmissible.

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