Source: The Wake Forest Law Review
The recent COVID-19 relief package, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), will apply to some eligible immigrants, including recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
USCIS has not directly answered whether accepting these federally-funded payments would negatively impact future chances of obtaining lawful permanent resident status under the new public charge rule. However, based on current law and USCIS’s policy manual, these CARES Act payments are not public benefits. Therefore, “immigrants who are eligible for CARES Act payments should rest assured that receiving this economic relief will not negatively impact any public charge determination in the future.”
As previously mentioned on our page, any treatment or testing for COVID-19 will not be a factor in a future public charge determination.