पब्लिक चार्ज नियम : ग्रिनकार्डका लागि न्यूनतम धरौटी ८ हजार १ सय डलर, सरकारी सुविधा लिए जफत

खसोखास अमेरिका ब्यूरो

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प्रकाशित मिति : फाल्गुन ११, २०७६ आईतबार

अमेरिकी सरकारले सोमबारदेखि लागु गर्न लागेको पब्लिक चार्जको नियम अनुशार सरकारी सुविधा लिने सम्भावना हुनेहरुलाई ग्रिनकार्ड स्वीकृत गर्नु अगाडि कम्तीमा ८ हजार १ सय अमेरिकी डलर धरौटी लिनसक्ने प्रावधान राखेको छ । तर ग्रिनकार्ड पाइसकेपछिको ३६ महिनाको अवधिमा १२ महिनाभन्दा बढी सरकारी सुविधा लिएको खण्डमा भने उक्त धरौटी रकम सरकारले जफत गर्नेछ ।यदि कुनै दुईप्रकारका सरकारी सुविधा ६ /६ महिना लिएको खण्डमा त्यो पनि एकबर्ष गणना गरिन्छ ।

यद्यपी यो धरौटी रकम सबै ग्रिनकार्ड आवेदकका सन्दर्भमा लागु नहुने र सरकारले मागेको खण्डमा मात्र धरौटी रकम राख्नुपर्ने युएससीआईएसले जनाएको छ । पब्लिक चार्जको नयाँ नियम अनुशार सरकारले ग्रिनकार्ड आवेदकको ग्रिनकार्ड विना धरौटी स्वीकार गर्न सक्ने, अस्वीकार गर्न सक्ने वा धरौटी सहित स्वीकार गर्नसक्ने अधिकार राख्नेछ ।

ग्रिनकार्ड लिएको ५ बर्षसम्म कुनै सरकारी सुविधा नलिएको खण्डमा उक्त धरौटी रकम सरकारले फिर्ता गर्नेछ । त्यस्तै आवेदक अमेरिका छाडेर जाने भएमा वा पब्लिक चार्जको नियम नलाग्ने अर्को स्टाटसमा गएमा पनि धरौटी रकम फिर्ता हुनेछ ।

ग्रिनकार्ड आवेदनका साथमा आत्मनिर्भरता पुष्टी गर्ने फर्म आई ९४४  बुझाइसकेपछि युएससीआईएसले आवेदकले सरकारी सुविधा लिएको लिनसक्ने सम्भावना देखेको खण्डमा धरौटी माग गर्नसक्नेछ । यदि धरौटीमागेको खण्डमा फर्म ९४५ पब्लिक चार्ज बण्ड फर्म पनि भरेर बुझाउनुपर्नेछ । यो फर्म भने युएससीआईसले मागेको व्यक्तिलेमात्र भर्नुपर्छ, सबैले पर्दैन ।

धरौटी रकम फिर्ता लिनका लागि धरौटी राखेको व्यक्तिले आई ३५६ नामको फर्म भर्नुपर्नेछ । युएससीआईएसले ग्रिनकार्ड लिएको व्यक्तिले अमेरिकी नागरिकता लिएपछि वा अमेरिकाबाट स्थायी रुपमा फर्केपछि वा मृत्यु भएमा पब्लिक चार्ज बण्ड रद्द गर्नेछ ।

पब्लिक चार्ज बण्डको सन्दर्भमा युएससीआईएसले प्रकाशित गरेको नीति जस्ताको तस्तै 

Chapter 18 – Public Charge Bonds

If an alien is determined to be inadmissible based on the public charge ground, but is otherwise admissible, he or she may be admitted in the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security, if otherwise admissible, upon the giving of a suitable and proper bond.USCIS will only exercise this authority in the context of adjustment of status applications in cases where adjustment would otherwise be granted but for the public charge inadmissibility.

A public charge bond is a type of immigration bond. A bond, including a public charge bond, is a contract between the United States (the obligee) and a natural person or a company (the obligor) who pledges a sum of money to guarantee a set of conditions imposed by the U.S. government concerning the alien (also called the principal).In the case of the public charge bond, the obligor pledges a sum of money to guarantee that the applicant will not become a public charge, as defined in the regulations.

Public charge bonds are intended to hold the United States and all states, territories, counties, towns, municipalities, and districts harmless against aliens becoming public charges. A public charge bond is issued on the condition that the alien does not become a public charge after the bond is issued. If the U.S. government permits the alien to post a public charge bond, and the bond posted is the amount specified by USCIS, and complies with all other requirements as provided in the form and form instructions, USCIS will accept the public charge bond and will adjust the applicant’s status to that of a lawful permanent resident (LPR) despite the alien’s inadmissibility. If the LPR receives public benefits above the threshold while the bond is in effect, and therefore has become a public charge, the LPR will have breached the conditions of the bond and the U.S. government will require payment on the bond. A breach does not affect the alien’s LPR status.

A. Type of Bonds

Public charge bonds may generally be posted as:

A cash bond – This type of bond is posted as cash equivalent as specified by USCIS; or
A surety bond – This type of bond is posted through a surety company certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Regardless of the type of public charge bond, the bond must be posted with USCIS by submitting a Public Charge Bond (Form I-945) in accordance with its instructions and the appropriate fee.

Cash Bonds

A cash bond is secured by a deposit of the full face value of the bond. It can be posted by a company or a natural person. If an applicant is given the opportunity to post a public charge bond, the bond should be paid in accordance with the Form I-945 instructions. Once USCIS receives the funds, the money is held in a U.S. Treasury account until it is either forfeited due to breach or the bond is canceled. Funds used to secure a bond accrue interest at the rate set by the Treasury Department on the date the funds are received.

Surety Bonds

A surety bond is a bond that is submitted on the alien’s behalf by a company, which guarantees the payment of a certain amount of money if the alien fails to comply with the conditions set by the government as part of the bond. In the case of a surety bond, no cash is exchanged as part of the bond contract; only if and when the alien breaches the conditions of the bond will the surety company pay the promised amount of money to the government.

Before a surety company can do business with any government entity, it must be certified by the Treasury Department. All certified companies are listed in a document entitled “Circular 570”. USCIS will only accept surety bonds from companies certified by the Treasury Department to post bonds.

A surety company can execute a bond on its own or it can do so through authorized agents. To establish that an agent is an authorized agent who may act on behalf of the surety company, the agent must provide evidence of the authorization through a Power of Attorney that must comply with the state laws governing the jurisdiction in which it is executed. This Power of Attorney is not the same as the Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative (Form G-28). Therefore, when submitting a public charge bond on behalf of a certified surety company, the agent must attach either an original Power of Attorney, or a true copy (as defined under applicable state law), to Form I-945.

If the agent also seeks to act in the capacity of an attorney or accredited representative of the surety company, the agent must also submit Form G-28.

If the surety company posts bonds through an agent, the agent becomes a co-obligor. This means that the agent is jointly and severally liable for the bond amount. If the alien breaches the condition of the bond by receiving public benefits above the threshold, as defined in the regulation, either the surety company or the agent or both can be held liable for and up to the amount of the bond.

Example

Immigration Bonds, Inc. provides public charge bond services on behalf of Bank B, a Treasury Department-certified surety company. When submitting a public charge bond, Immigration Bonds, Inc. must submit Form I-945 and also an original or a true copy (as defined under applicable state law) of the Power of Attorney that complies with the state laws governing the jurisdiction in which the Power of Attorney was executed. The Power of Attorney demonstrates that Immigration Bonds, Inc. is authorized to submit the bond on behalf of Bank B.

By completing the Form I-945, the agent must sign as a co-obligor on the bond. If Immigration Bonds, Inc. also acts as Bank B’s attorney or accredited representative, Immigration Bond, Inc., would also have to submit a properly completed Form G-28. If the public charge bond is accepted, the Immigration Bonds, Inc. and Bank B become co-obligors on the public charge bond. If the public charge bond is breached because the alien does not comply with the bond conditions, the U.S. government may collect from either Immigration Bonds, Inc. or the Bank B. or both to obtain the full face value of the public charge bond.

The following table illustrates the differences between the public charge cash and surety bonds.

B. Bond Amount

A public charge bond must be at least $8,100.The minimum amount will be adjusted annually for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). However, USCIS determines the appropriate bond amount for each applicant on a case-by-case basis. The amount cannot be appealed by the alien, the obligor, agent/co-obligor, or their representative(s)(if any).

C. Bond Duration

USCIS only accepts public charge bonds of unlimited duration.This means that the bond will not expire, but instead remains in effect until one of the following:

• USCIS approves a substitute bond that replaces the bond originally posted;
• USCIS cancels the bond; or
• USCIS determines that the bond is breached.

D. Bond Stages

The decision to allow an alien only inadmissible on the public charge ground to submit a public charge bond is within DHS’s discretion. The posting of a public charge bond by an alien found to be inadmissible only on account of the public charge ground authorizes USCIS, upon accepting the bond, to adjust the status of an alien to that of an LPR.

The public charge bond is posted on the condition that the alien does not become a public charge after adjusting status.If the alien does become a public charge because he or she has received public benefits above the threshold, the bond is breached and the U.S. government will request payment on the bond. If the alien does not become a public charge while the bond is in effect, then USCIS will cancel the bond upon the request from either the obligor or agent/co-obligor (the one who posted the bond), or the alien.

The following table summarizes the various stages of a public charge bond.