Data / Federal rules / 2026-14539
Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility
The Homeland Security Department published this final rule in the Federal Register on July 20, 2026. It took effect on September 18, 2026.
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What the agency says
DHS is rescinding the 2022 public charge ground of inadmissibility regulations ("2022 Final Rule"). The 2022 Final Rule was not the best implementation of the statute. It was inconsistent with congressional intent, unduly restrictive, and hampered DHS's ability to make accurate, precise, and reliable determinations of whether certain aliens are likely at any time to become a public charge. Rescission restores broader discretion for DHS officers to evaluate all pertinent facts and aligns with long-standing policy that aliens in the United States should be self-reliant and government benefits should not incentivize immigration. This rule also revises the breach and cancellation of public charge bonds regulations.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-14539
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Final rule
- Agency
- Homeland Security Department
- Published
- July 20, 2026
- Takes effect
- September 18, 2026
- Dates
- The final rule is effective on September 18, 2026. This rule applies to applications for admission made on or after September 18, 2026 or applications for adjustment of status postmarked or electronically submitted on or after September 18, 2026. Receipt of means-tested public benefits before September 18, 2026 will be considered consistently with the 2022 Final Rule.
- Docket
- CIS No. 2857-26; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2025-0304
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 1615-AD06
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 8 CFR 103; 8 CFR 212
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Aliens; Authority delegations (Government agencies); Fees; Freedom of information; Immigration; Passports and visas; Privacy; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Surety bonds
- Pages
- 154
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Everything from the Homeland Security Department · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on aliens · Rules on authority delegations (government agencies) · Published in July 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.