Port Gibson, MS asked in Immigration Law and Public Benefits for Mississippi

Q: If my medical bills were paid for by the hamilton county indigent program in TN will that be a public charge?

I recently got married in March and I'm applying for a green card. I gave birth to my daughter on July 19, 2019, in Chattanooga and the hamilton county indigent program paid for my delivery. I got approved for the indigent rate at Erlanger for 6 months because of the program ( I only used it for delivery though). Will that be considered a public charge? Which category would it fall under if it is public charge?

1 Lawyer Answer
Robert Roy Klein
Robert Roy Klein
Answered
  • Immigration Law Lawyer
  • Newport Beach, CA

A: Only federally funded Medicaid programs are considered as public benefits. If this program was local, there should be no problem. USCIS also makes exceptions for women who receive federally funded Medicaid when they're pregnant. Finally, you're only considered a public charge if you're on public benefits for 12 months in the last 36 months.

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