IMPORTANT UPDATE — MARCH 9, 2021: Both the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) public charge rule and the Department of State (DOS) public charge policy are currently not in effect. The DHS rule was halted on March 9, 2021, while the DOS policy was paused indefinitely on July 29, 2020. This page reflects those policies, which initially took effect on Feb. 24, 2020, and will not be immediately updated according to the previous, longstanding guidance issued in 1999. Learn more.
If the spouse seeking a green card is applying from within the United States, they will need to provide their credit report and credit score as part of Form I-944 (officially called the “Declaration of Self-Sufficiency”). Applicants filing from outside the United States, using Form DS-5540 (officially called the “Public Charge Questionnaire”) do not need to submit a U.S. or international credit report. Learn more here about credit report and credit score requirements.