By Jeanne Morales Attorney
The government has finally released the ADDITIONAL form that someone now needs when they apply for a green card. The new I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency, is a result of the new emphasis on rejecting immigrants who may become a “public charge”. It is required for all persons seeking to become a permanent resident after October 15, 2019.
This new form is 18 pages (in addition to the 20 pages for the I-485, the application to become a permanent resident), and requires information and documents on everyone in your household – and anyone who is not in your household but is a dependent on your tax return or financially linked to you by court order (child support/alimony). If you don’t have documents on the individual (like a birth certificate for your step-child), then you will have to have a signed statement from the person.
You will need tax returns from everyone in your household or financially linked to you. Since someone is not issued a social security number until after they get a green card, you will need to have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), and you will have to provide an explanation if you have not filed tax returns in the past.
You will need to list everything you and your household members own, and every debt owed.
You will need to disclose your credit score, and an explanation of any negative entries on your credit report. You will have to disclose if you have filed bankruptcy.
You will need to disclose whether or not you have health insurance.
You will need to disclose public benefits that you are receiving or received in the past.
You will need to disclose your education level and any job skills.
This form will multiply the complexity of the process to get a green card, and will provide the government plenty of information on you and people in your household or who are financially linked to you. Such information could be used to deny the green card for the applicant; given the volume of information, there very well may be other consequences for you or others in your household.
Since Congress has not acted to fix our immigration laws, the administration has found a way to run its agenda through the system. The form I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency is the blueprint for denial.
