Jan. 25 – Feb. 8, 2021 | 2-3:30 p.m. ET | CA MCLE: 1.5 per webinar

The Biden administration has promised to reverse the current U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Department of State public charge rules, but it is unclear how long that will take to accomplish. In the meantime, adjustment of status applicants must file the Form I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency, and be prepared to satisfy this stringent public charge test at their adjustment interviews. In addition, they must also submit a legally sufficient affidavit of support, whose requirements have only gotten tighter.

In this three-webinar series, CLINIC attorneys Charles Wheeler and Ilissa Mira will guide practitioners through the key points in the regulations and agency policy guidance; review best practices in completing the forms and assembling supporting documents; and discuss strategies for advocating why your client is not likely to become a public charge.

NOTE: Materials for the series include relevant chapters from CLINIC’s Public Charge and the Affidavit of Support: A Practitioner’s Guide. Access to recordings of the webinars are included with your purchase of the three-webinar series. Your complimentary access will be available until March 8. Certificates of attendance are only issued if you attend the live webinars. 

Webinar 1: USCIS Assessment of Public Charge Inadmissibility: Regulations, Policy Guidance, Form I-944

Jan. 25 | 2-3:30 p.m. ET

In webinar one, we will review the USCIS regulations that went into effect on Feb. 24, 2020, the latest USCIS Policy Manual guidance on the public charge ground of inadmissibility, and the Form I-944 and instructions. We will also provide tips on gathering the necessary documents and review how the new regulations contrast with the prior public charge policies and procedures.

Webinar 2:Preparing a Qualifying Affidavit of Support

Feb. 1 | 2-3:30 p.m. ET 

Under the public charge rules, failure to submit a “legally sufficient” affidavit of support automatically leads to a determination of public charge inadmissibility. New requirements are now placed on sponsors and joint sponsors. In webinar two, we will review the role of the affidavit of support in the assessment of public charge inadmissibility and the factors considered by USCIS and DOS to determine if the affidavit of support is sufficient.

Webinar 3: Now What Do You Do? Putting it all Together to Assess Your Client’s Case

Feb. 8 | 2-3:30 p.m. ET

The third webinar in the series will build on our knowledge of USCIS and DOS policies and procedures in the assessment of public charge inadmissibility. Using a series of hypothetical scenarios, we will apply what we learned to determine how you would counsel your adjustment of status and consular processing clients to make the best case possible for avoiding a finding of public charge inadmissibility.