Wellness and Work-life Balance

OISS recommends that international students and scholars should continue to refrain from accessing public benefits unless it's absolutely necessary. Read on for more information on the Public Charge Ruling.

By Julia McClenon, International Peer Advisor
Thursday, March 26th, 2020 - 9:45am


The Public Charge Rule took effect​ on Feb 24, 2020.

UCSB's Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) has published more detailed information about the ruling here.

Most importantly, OISS still recommends that international students and scholars should continue to refrain from accessing public benefits unless it's absolutely necessary. The addition of the "Totality of Circumstances Test" could adversely affect the student and scholars when requesting immigration benefits in the future.