Unemployment benifits , Does it affect citizenship?

[sajan2002]

Hi Gurus,

I was thinking of applying for unemployment benifits after my layoff. Will this affect my citizenship process in any way?

Sajan

 

[sajan2002]

Hi JOEF,

Thanks for your quick reply. I was curiousto know , if there is any official document which says that applying for unemployment benifits does not affect citizenship process?

Thanks
Sajan

 

[suriyan]

I have been claiming unemployment since the start of this year and am still doing so, if that is any consolation.

 

[jenimmi]

The only financial aid that could in theory affect citizenship eligibility are "means-tested public benefits." That is welfare and the like.
....
And even receiving means-tested benefits by itself doesn't have a direct effect on citizenship. It can have an effect on the GC, and without GC of course no citizenship.

Joe -
Have a question based on what you said. If some one senior is applying for Medicare / Medicaid - I still don't know the difference between these two, but from another thread learnt that these are "means-tested public benefits" - and they are already GC holders, will it affect their CZ eligibility?
TIA.

 

[PG2006]

Well, PRs are not elibigle for means-tested public benefits for 5 years after they became PRs. If they get it after that, no problem. If they somehow manage to get it before the 5 years are over, that'll be a problem.
In addition, assuming that they got sponsored by their child/children, the sponsors are responsible to pay back any such means-tested benefits they got, until they have 40 quarters of paying into Social Security or become citizens. If the child/children dodge that requirement, there may also be issues.
And finally, there is the issue of traveling abroad. Being likely to becoming a public charge, i.e., being likely to get means-tested public benefits makes a PR indamissible.

Since insurance companies do not insure people over 70, and apparently Medicare is not available for the LPR (our parents who just came here at this old age without having a chance to work and accumulate the 40 units) what option do they have in case...God forbidden, you know a heart attack with surgery, ER, hospitalization, etc. may be easily 200K or over ,

 

[ocworker]

Well, pretty much your savings...
That's one of the issues of sponsoring somebody: the sponsor is liable for all such expenses. If they can't pay, the hospital would go to the government, which then would request the money back from you.
Sponsors need to be aware of the risks before they sign an affidavit of support.
This can happen to every sponsor, of course, and is not limited to sponsors of elderly people. Heart attacks can happen to younger people. I know somebody in his late 40ies who had cancer treatment, costing $250K. Car accidents can happen to anybody, etc.

Joef, if i understand your statements correctly:

If I sponsor my wife coming to US, and *touch wood*, she needs to have operation because of some minor car accidents.... and if my company benefit covers her medical expense, it won't be considered as the "means-tested public benefits".

is it a correct statement?

 

[curiousGeorge]

....until they have 40 quarters of paying into Social Security or become citizens.....

JoeF,
I thought you have to be a citizen AND have 40 quarters of paying into Social Security to be eligible for Medicare. Was I wrong?

 

[PacMan72]

Hi Gurus,

I was thinking of applying for unemployment benifits after my layoff. Will this affect my citizenship process in any way?

Sajan

think about it for one second...why would it affect it ?
the only thing that affect citizenship is being a criminal, is collecting unemployeent is criminal act ?

 

[Suzy977]

think about it for one second...why would it affect it ?
the only thing that affect citizenship is being a criminal, is collecting unemployeent is criminal act ?

You got the wrong approach here: It's not the question if is a "criminal act or not" but if the LPRs are allowed to do that.

For example collecting welfare is not a "criminal act" and my parents, sponsored by me, are not allowed to collect welfare.

On the other hand, unemployment is basically your money, monthly deducted from your salary by the employer, plus some added by the company, not public benefit.

 

[PacMan72]

You got the wrong approach here: It's not the question if is a "criminal act or not" but if the LPRs are allowed to do that.

For example collecting welfare is not a "criminal act" and my parents, sponsored by me, are not allowed to collect welfare.

On the other hand, unemployment is basically your money, monthly deducted from your salary by the employer, plus some added by the company, not public benefit.

collecting something you are not eligible for IS crime !
first Q on the Unemployement forum is: are you a US citizen or LPR.

 

[Suzy977]

collecting something you are not eligible for IS crime !
first Q on the Unemployement forum is: are you a US citizen or LPR.

You posted:

the only thing that affect citizenship is being a criminal, is collecting unemployeent is criminal act ?

Your two posts combined prove my point; Is not a matter of the action itself if it's a crime or not, but being eligible or not makes the difference from crime to no crime

In other words, the OP can be a "criminal" if s/he collects unemployment fraudulently...
...so, to answer to your question, YES, in some instances collecting unemployment is a criminal act

Going back to your original post: "is collecting unemployeent is criminal act ?" the question is beyond the point and it doesn't serve as a valid approach to the OP's inquiry.

The right question, if it had to be asked, was: "if you were you eligible to collect unemployment, was that a criminal act?"

You can't just ask if "X" action is a criminal act or not...for example eating is a criminal act...if you refer to Jeffrey Dahmer who ate his victims

Note: I've used "copy" and "paste" quoting you, I didn't modify anything, except the color.