Most public benefits DO NOT affect a person's application for immigration status.

The following benefits ARE NOT CONSIDERED in a public charge test:

  • A child’s or other family member’s use of federal safety net programs never affects the applicant’s immigration application. Nutrition and housing assistance programs including SNAP, WIC, School meals, Section 8, and Public Housing;

  • Cash payments for a specific purpose like home energy assistance or childcare;

  • Emergency disaster relief, including pandemic and COVID-19 assistance such as COVID-19 testing, treatment, vaccines, economic impact payment checks (stimulus checks), one-time financial assistance, and food programs like P-EBT;

  • Community-based services like food banks, shelters, and financial assistance regardless of the source of funding;

  • Medicaid and other health care programs are only considered if the government is paying for long-term care, like in a nursing home;

  • “Earned” benefits like Social Security, retirement, and veteran’s benefits.

The following benefits MAY BE CONSIDERED in a public charge test for people who live in Texas:*

  • Cash assistance that is intended to pay for ongoing living expenses, like SSI or TANF; and

  • Long-term institutional care paid for by Medicaid or another government program.**

*Most immigrants who face a Public Charge test are not eligible for the benefits that are considered in this test. For more information, talk to a legal aid lawyer. Need help? Find Immigration Assistance and Legal Aid resources here!

**If you have used these specific programs in the past, you still have a chance to show that you are not likely to become a public charge in the future. Immigration officials must look at all of your circumstances when they review your green card or visa application.

View a PDF of Benefits