INA 212(a)(4) – Public Charge – 212(a)(4) – Section 212(a)(4)

INA 212(a)(4)

Public Charge

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212(a)(4) Public Charge

What is a grounds of inadmissibility?

In order for a foreign national to be admitted to the United States, he or she must be admissible.  A foreign national can be deemed inadmissible to the United States by USCIS, CBP and a Consulate.  If the foreign national is deemed inadmissible due to the United States, he or she cannot enter without a waiver of inadmissibility or a determination that the inadmissibility charge was made in error.

212(a)(4) Inadmissibility due to Public Charge

Foreign nationals may be inadmissible if he or she is likely to become a public charge.

Any alien who, in the opinion of the consular officer at the time of application for a visa, or in the opinion of the Attorney General at the time of application for admission or adjustment of status, is likely at any time to become a public charge is inadmissible.

How to obtain a determination that the 212(a)(4) ground of inadmissibility was incorrectly made.

No matter which US government agency made the inadmissibility determination, each provides a method to dispute the determination, though each has drastically different processing times.  We have achieved successful outcomes by petitioning the US Department of State where the determination was made by the Consulate in as little as 2 weeks.  CBP quotes turnaround times of as little as 30 days and USCIS will not offer a time frame.  In our experience, the more difficult the situation, the longer it will take to get resolved.

How to obtain a 212(a)(4) waiver

There are two types of waivers that apply to each grounds of inadmissibility: one for immigrants and one for nonimmigrants. Immigrants are foreign nationals who are trying to obtain an immigrant visa or green card. Nonimmigrants are foreign nationals who are trying to obtain or enter with a temporary visa such as a B2 tourist visa, F1 student visa or H1B work visa, among others. Some grounds of inadmissibility allows both immigrant and nonimmigrant waivers, some allow one and some offer no waiver at all.

Many people who are faced with a inadmissibility determination believe that they will never be able to obtain a waiver or enter the US again. This is simply not true. For almost all types of inadmissibility classes, a waiver is available and there is always an option to challenge the determination. We have successfully helped many clients who were determined to be inadmissible and we can assist you. We believe that with the right approach, there is always a hope to win your case.

Nonimmigrant Waiver

212(d)(3) and 221(g) offer a nonimmigrant waiver for 212(a)(4) where the foreign national presents evidence that they are unlikely to become a public charge.

Immigrant Waiver

While INA 213 provides for an immigrant waiver where the foreign national agrees to post a bond, he or she would still be subject to the affidavit of support income requirements so a bond is rarely offered as an alternative.

Paths for a Waiver of Inadmissibility

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