Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition to hold Webinar on Public Charge as Final Rule Begins Implementation September 18

By Kayla Blackwell, NLIHC Senior Housing Policy Analyst  

The Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition (PIF) is holding a webinar, “The “New” Public Charge – What Changes, What Doesn’t, and What We Do Now” on Wednesday, September 23, at 2:00 pm ET. The webinar will focus on the Department of Homeland Security’s final "public charge" rule, effective as of September 18, 2026. The new rule rescinds 2022 public charge regulations that provided clear guidance on which public benefits could be considered in the “public charge test,” an assessment used in applications for admission into the U.S. or applications for Lawful Permanent Residence (“green card”) or a visa.   

Background on Public Charge  

DHS has used the “public charge” test to determine admission into the United States or approval for a green card for over a century. The public charge inadmissibility test can negatively impact a person’s admission and application for a Lawful Permanent Residence or “green card” or a visa. Many immigrants are exempt from public charge by laws that cannot be changed by regulations.  

Under the current public charge rule, implemented during the Biden administration in 2022, usage of several health and social services is NOT considered in a public charge determination. These include Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and housing assistance programs such as public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA).     

As of September 18, 2026, the 2026 final public charge rule will allow DHS officials to consider public benefits when reviewing a green card application, and the 2022 public charge rule will no longer be in effect. It is not clear which benefits programs or government services would be considered. Public benefits of use would be one of many factors that officials could consider during a public charge determination. See PIF’s “What changed with public charge?” for a side-by-side comparison.   

One in four children in the U.S. is in an immigrant family. Most (90%) children in immigrant families are U.S. citizens, yet many go without crucial nutrition, healthcare, and other supports because of fear and confusion caused by policies such as the public charge rule. See PIF’s “Research documents the harm of past public charge policies” to learn more.  

Register for the webinar. 

For additional resources, including What Advocates Need to Know and further research on public charge, use PIF’s Public Charge Regulation Toolkit.