Additional income: the form requires me to declare additional income received on a continuing basis that was not taxable.Household income: the form instructions require an IRS transcript for my most recent federal tax return, and those of any household members included on the I-944.While reviewing the new rules I wondered, what if I had to complete a Form I-944 for myself? A couple of items struck me. This is where the I-944 becomes onerous and invasive. Regardless of how high the immigrant’s income may be, she must answer questions related to all of the public charge factors and provide supporting documents to support each answer. By contrast, the Form I-944 provides no such exit for the immigrant. A sponsor who can produce appropriate tax records to show income above the required threshold does not have to share any evidence concerning assets. Make no mistake, the Form I-944 is much more than an applicant’s version of the I-864 Affidavit of Support still required of sponsors. As of February 24, 2020, most immigrants will have to provide information about each of the factors by completing a new form, I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency. Under the new public charge rules, immigration officials must weigh all positive and negative factors related to the immigrant’s age, health, family status, assets, resources and financial status, education and skills, prospective immigration status and period of stay, some factors are also weighed more heavily than others. Sponsors provided their information on Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. The most common way to pass the old public charge test was to demonstrate that the immigrant had not received such benefits in the past, and that the immigrant’s sponsor or co-sponsors had household income or assets over 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. “Primarily dependent” meant that the person would rely on cash assistance or long-term institutional care at government expense. From 1999 until this week, the term “public charge” meant that an individual would likely become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence. It is difficult to appreciate the difference between the new and the old public charge standards without some context. And many people have accurately characterized the new standards as a “wealth test.” Yet, little attention has been given to the fact that regardless of whether an immigrant has modest means or great wealth, anyone subject to the new public charge rules will have to submit extraordinary amounts of sensitive personal information as the price of admission to the United States. The press has covered the dramatic expansion of public benefits to be counted against immigrants when applying for permanent residence in the United States. People are certainly talking about the new public charge rules that went into effect on February 24, 2020.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |