Major Green Card Update: Medicaid, Food Stamps Could Affect Applications Under New Rule

The Trump administration has announced a new rule that restores broader authority for immigration officers to consider an applicant’s use of public benefits when deciding green card applications.

The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will place new limits on the issuance of green cards to immigrants who have used government benefits, reversing a Biden-era policy.

The new rule rolls back a 2022 regulation that narrowly defined how “public charge” determinations should be made and limited the public benefits immigration officers could consider when reviewing green card applications.

Under the updated policy, officers will once again have broader discretion to examine an applicant’s financial circumstances and history of receiving government assistance to determine whether they are likely to become dependent on public support in the future.

Federal immigration law allows the government to deny admission or permanent residency to applicants considered likely to become a “public charge”—someone expected to rely primarily on government assistance rather than their own income or support network.

USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said the administration is “upholding the rule of law and protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing aliens who may become dependent on public benefits.”

According to DHS, the rule could reduce federal and state public-benefit payments by about $13 billion annually, or $111 billion over 10 years, as fewer immigrants apply for or continue using public assistance programs.

The department also acknowledged that lower participation in programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and housing assistance could affect healthcare providers, grocery stores, landlords, and other businesses that receive revenue through those programs.

Separately, the Trump administration confirmed it is considering requiring certain green card applicants outside the United States to post a bond to demonstrate they are unlikely to become a public charge. According to the State Department, the proposal would support the administration’s goal of ensuring immigrants are financially self-sufficient. Under the proposal, the bond would be returned once the applicant becomes a US citizen.

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