DS5540

[LilyJ 1,258]

My husband's finally recently got rescheduled for a new interview after the last one was cancelled due to COVID. Now, I'm finishing preparing the last of the documents, including the DS5540. Under Part 4, question 12, do we answer "No" or leave it blank? We have never received public benefits, but the question is "If you or your family requested or received a public benefit, were you or your family members exempt from public charge during that period?" so I'm not sure if we should leave it blank or not. Also, my husband has an outstanding hospital bill from last time he visited (nothing serious he is completely OK he wasn't feeling well and we didn't want to risk anything, urgent cares weren't open so we went to ER because we didn't want to wait till morning), would that go under debts?

[Ncornejo7 236]

For the question regarding the requested or received public benefits I would leave it blank. Its kind of a tricky question. Then for the debt question,  I'm not so sure. If it's a huge debt then maybe I'd disclose it. However, I highly doubt they'll ask for the ds 5540. My wife just had her interview and the CO told her it was not necessary. My wife had the ds5540 just in case.

[Ncornejo7 236]

Sorry I couldn't edit the other post but for the debt part is debt that pertains to the immigrant.

[LilyJ 1,258]

11 hours ago, Ncornejo7 said:

For the question regarding the requested or received public benefits I would leave it blank. Its kind of a tricky question. Then for the debt question,  I'm not so sure. If it's a huge debt then maybe I'd disclose it. However, I highly doubt they'll ask for the ds 5540. My wife just had her interview and the CO told her it was not necessary. My wife had the ds5540 just in case.

That's what I thought too, to leave it blank, but I didn't see any specific instructions about it on the form so I was unsure. I think they probably won't ask him to see it, since our joint sponsor is more than sufficient, but I wanted to make sure we've got it all right anyways.

11 hours ago, Ncornejo7 said:

Sorry I couldn't edit the other post but for the debt part is debt that pertains to the immigrant.

Yeah, my husband has a $2,000 bill to the doctor, and a $3,000 bill to the hospital, that haven't been paid yet but I wasn't sure if those are counted as "debts" or not for the purpose of the DS5540, since they are unpaid bills

[Ncornejo7 236]

2 hours ago, LilyJ said:

That's what I thought too, to leave it blank, but I didn't see any specific instructions about it on the form so I was unsure. I think they probably won't ask him to see it, since our joint sponsor is more than sufficient, but I wanted to make sure we've got it all right anyways.

Yeah, my husband has a $2,000 bill to the doctor, and a $3,000 bill to the hospital, that haven't been paid yet but I wasn't sure if those are counted as "debts" or not for the purpose of the DS5540, since they are unpaid bills

To be honest I dont think that would really matter. It's not like your husband purposely got himself in debt.