Public Charge Clarification Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill rewrites the legal definition of 'public charge' so that anyone likely to use certain government benefits for more than 12 months total over any 3-year period can be denied a visa, admission, or a green card.
• It greatly expands the list of benefits that count against an immigrant, including SNAP, housing vouchers, most Medicaid, and ACA premium subsidies, plus any future government benefit program.
• Immigration officials could require a public charge bond of at least $10,000, which the government keeps if the immigrant uses a covered benefit within 10 years of arrival.
• Sponsors must prove they earn at least 125 percent of the federal poverty line, but even a strong affidavit of support cannot by itself overcome a finding that someone is likely to become a public charge.
• Refugees, asylees, and active-duty military members and their dependents are exempt from the new rules, and the changes would apply to pending cases starting 180 days after enactment.