Immigration Public Charge Bonds

Instructions for Public Charge Bond
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

USCIS
Form I-945

OMB No. 1615-0143
Expires xx/xx/xxxx

What Is the Purpose of Form I-945?
This public charge bond is posted as security for performance and fulfillment of the financial obligations of a bonded alien
(someone who is not a U.S. citizen) to the U.S. Government.

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General Instructions

How to Fill Out Form I-945

1. Type or print legibly in black ink.

2. Answer all questions fully and accurately. If a question does not apply to you (for example, if you have never been
married and the question asks, “Provide the name of your current spouse”), type or print “N/A,” unless otherwise
directed. If your answer to a question which requires a numeric response is zero or none (for example, “How many
children do you have” or “How many times have you departed the United States”), type or print “None,” unless
otherwise directed.
Part 1. Obligor and Agent/Co-Obligor Information

Please read Part 1., Sections A. and B. on the form, and complete Sections C., D., and E. with the information requested.
For Surety Bonds, please include the name of the surety company in the “Name of Obligor” field.
Part 2. Information About the Alien for Whom the Bond Is Furnished
Provide the biographic information of the alien requested in Part 2.

Item Number 2. Alien Registration Number (A-Number) (if any). An Alien Registration Number, otherwise known as
an “A-Number,” is typically issued to people who apply for, or are granted, certain immigration benefits. U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues A-Numbers. In addition, other agencies may issue an A-Number, namely
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Executive Office of
Immigration Review (EOIR), and the Department of State (DOS). If the alien for whom the bond is furnished was issued
an A-Number, type or print it in the spaces provided. If the alien was issued an Employment Authorization Document
(EAD) indicating the (c)(9) eligibility category based on a pending application for adjustment of status, this number may
be listed as the USCIS Number on the front of the card. If the alien has more than one A-Number, use the space provided
in Part 5. Additional Information to provide the information. If the alien does not have an A-Number or if he or she
cannot remember it, leave this space blank.
Item Number 3. USCIS Online Account Number (if any). If the alien has previously filed an application or petition
using the USCIS online filing system (previously called USCIS Electronic Immigration System (USCIS ELIS)), provide
the USCIS Online Account Number that was issued to the alien by the system. The alien can find the USCIS Online
Account Number by logging in to his or her account and going to the profile page. If he or she previously filed certain
applications or petitions on a paper form through a USCIS Lockbox facility, he or she may have received a USCIS Online
Account Access Notice issuing a USCIS Online Account Number. The alien may find the USCIS Online Account Number
at the top of the notice. The USCIS Online Account Number is not the same as an A-Number.
Item Number 4. Form I-485 Receipt Number. Provide the alien’s receipt number for the pending Form I-485,
Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
Item Number 5. Mailing Address. Provide the alien’s current mailing address.
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Item Number 6. Physical Address. Provide the physical address where the alien is currently residing.
Item Number 7. Date of Birth. Enter the alien’s date of birth in mm/dd/yyyy format in the space provided. For
example, type or print October 5, 1967 as 10/05/1967.
Item Number 8. Place of Birth. Enter the name of the city or town, and country where the alien was born. Type or print
the name of the country as it was named when the alien was born, even if the country’s name has changed or the country
no longer exists.
Item Number 9. Country of Citizenship or Nationality. Enter the name of the country where the alien is a citizen.
This is not necessarily the country where the alien was born. If the alien was not stateless, type or print the name of the
country where the alien was last a citizen or national. If the alien is a citizen or national of more than one country, type or
print the name of the foreign country that issued the last passport.

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Item Number 10. Alien’s Daytime Telephone Number. Provide the alien’s daytime telephone number.
Item Number 11. Obligor’s Email Address (if any). Provide the alien’s email address.

Item Number 12. Information About the Alien’s Attorney or Accredited Representative. If the alien is represented
by an attorney or accredited representative, the alien’s attorney or accredited representative must submit a new Form
G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, for purposes of the bond. If the attorney
or accredited representative does not submit Form G-28, USCIS will not be able to communicate with the attorney or
accredited representative on behalf of the bonded alien or send a copy of the communication concerning bonds to the
alien’s attorney or accredited representative (as outlined in the Public Charge Bond, Form I-945).
Part 4. Obligor’s or Agent/Co-Obligor’s Statement, Declaration, Certification, and Signature
Every form MUST contain the signature of the obligor or the agent/co-obligor. A stamped or typewritten name in place of
a signature is not acceptable.
Part 5. Additional Information

If you need extra space to provide any additional information, use the space provided in Part 5. Additional Information.
If you need more space than what is provided in Part 5., you may make copies of Part 5. to complete and submit with
Form I-945. Type or print the name of the obligor, the power of attorney number, and the A-Number of the bonded alien
at the top of each sheet; indicate the Page Number, Part Number, and Item Number to which your answer refers; and
sign and date each sheet. Do not use Part 5. to amend the terms of Parts 3. or 4. If you alter the text of Parts 3. or 4.
by adding terms and conditions in Part 5., USCIS will reject the bond.
We recommend that you print or save a copy of your completed form to review in the future and for your
records.

What Evidence Must You Submit with Form I-945?
You need to include a copy of the communication that USCIS sent to you instructing you to file Form I-945, when you
submit the Form I-945. If you do not include it, we will reject your Form I-945.

How to Pay The Bond Amount For Cash Bonds
Please see our website at www.uscis.gov/I-945 or call our USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 for the most current
information about how to pay the bond amount in case of a cash bond. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing) call:
1-800-767-1833.

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What Is the Filing Fee?
The filing fee for Form I-945 is $25.
Payments by Check or Money Order
Use the following guidelines when you prepare your check or money order for the Form I-945 filing fee:
1. The check or money order must be drawn on a bank or other financial institution located in the United States and must
be payable in U.S. currency; and

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2. Make the check or money order payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

NOTE: Spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security; do not use the initials “USDHS” or “DHS.”
3. If you live outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate for instructions on the
method of payment.
Notice to Those Paying by Check. If you send USCIS a check, we will convert it into an electronic funds transfer (EFT).
This means we will copy your check and use the account information on it to electronically debit your account for the
amount of the check. The debit from your account will usually take 24 hours and your bank will show it on your regular
account statement.
You will not receive your original check back. We will destroy your original check, but will keep a copy of it. If USCIS
cannot process the EFT for technical reasons, you authorize us to process the copy in place of your original check. If
your check is returned as unpayable, we will re-submit the payment to the financial institution one time. If the check is
returned as unpayable a second time, we will reject your form and charge you a returned check fee.
Payments by Credit Card

If you are filing your form at a USCIS Lockbox facility, you can pay your filing fee using a credit card. Please see Form
G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, at www.uscis.gov/G-1450 for more information.
How To Check If the Fees Are Correct

Form I-945’s filing fee is current as of the edition date in the lower left corner of this page. However, because USCIS fees
change periodically, you can verify that the fee is correct by following one of the steps below.
1. Visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov, select “FORMS,” and check the appropriate fee; or
2. Visit the USCIS Contact Center at www.uscis.gov/contactcenter to get answers to your questions and connect with a
live USCIS representative. The USCIS Contact Center provides information in English and Spanish. For TTY (deaf
or hard of hearing) call: 1-800-767-1833.

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Where to File?
Please see our website at www.uscis.gov/I-945 or visit the USCIS Contact Center at
www.uscis.gov/contactcenter to connect with a USCIS representative for the most current information about where to file
this form. The USCIS Contact Center provides information in English and Spanish. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing)
call: 1-800-767-1833.

Processing Information

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USCIS will reject any Form I-945 that is not signed or is incomplete.

USCIS Forms and Information

To ensure you are using the latest version of this form, please visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov where you can
obtain the latest USCIS forms and immigration-related information. If you do not have internet access, you may order
USCIS forms by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing) call:
1-800-767-1833.
Instead of waiting in line for assistance at your local USCIS office, you can schedule an appointment online at
www.uscis.gov. Select “Tools,” then under “Self Service Tools,” select “Appointments” and follow the screen prompts to
set up your appointment. Once you finish scheduling an appointment, the system will generate an appointment notice for
you.

Penalties

If you, the obligor, or agent/co-obligor, knowingly and willfully falsify or conceal a material fact or submit a false
document with your Form I-945, we may reject the bond. In addition, you will face severe penalties provided by law and
may be subject to criminal prosecution.

USCIS Compliance Review and Monitoring
By signing this form, you, the obligor or agent/co-obligor acting on the obligor’s behalf, has stated under penalty of
perjury (28 U.S.C. section 1746) that all information and documentation submitted with this form are complete, true, and
correct. You also authorize the release of any information from your records that USCIS may need to process the bond
and consent to USCIS verifying such information.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the authority to verify any information you submit to establish that the
bond should be accepted. USCIS’ legal authority to verify this information is in Title 8 U.S.C. sections 1103, 1182, and
1183, and 8 CFR Parts 103 and 213, as well as Title 26 U.S.C. 6109, Title 31 U.S.C. 7701 and Executive Order 9397.
To ensure compliance with applicable laws and authorities, USCIS may verify information before or after accepting and
processing the bond, including verifying information as part of the adjudication of a cancellation request or a breach
determination.
Agency verification methods may include, but are not limited to: review of public records and information; contact
through written correspondence; the internet, fax, other electronic transmission, or telephone; unannounced physical site
inspections of residences and locations of employment; and interviews. USCIS will use information obtained through
verification to assess compliance with the laws and to determine whether the bond should be cancelled.

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Subject to the restrictions under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(16), USCIS will provide you with an opportunity to address any adverse
or derogatory information that may result from a USCIS compliance review, verification, or site visit after a formal
decision is made on your case or after the agency has initiated an adverse action which may result in revocation or
termination of an approval.

DHS Privacy Notice

AUTHORITIES: The information requested on this form is collected under the Immigration and Nationality Act,
as amended, sections 103, 212(a)(4) and 213 ((8 U.S.C. 1103, 1183) and Title 31 U.S.C. 7701. The collection of
the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) (including Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), Employer
Identification Number (EIN) or the Social Security Number (SSN)) is authorized by Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C.
6109) and Executive Order 9397.
PURPOSE: The primary purpose for collecting this information is to provide for the posting, maintenance, cancellation,
and breach determination of a public charge bond, and for the associated financial management activities, including
collection of unpaid monies, and the calculation, payment, and reporting of interest.
DISCLOSURE: The information you provide is voluntary; however, a public charge bond cannot be accepted unless you
provide the information requested on this form. For bonds secured by cash equivalents such as money orders or cashier’s
checks, your deposit must equal the face amount of the bond and your TIN is necessary to pay interest through the U.S.
Treasury Department and to comply with Internal Revenue Service requirements to report interest payments. Your TIN
will also be used for the purposes of collecting and reporting information on any delinquent accounts arising out of your
relationship with the Government.
ROUTINE USES: DHS may share the information you provide on this form and any additional requested evidence with
other Federal, state, local, and foreign government agencies and authorized organizations. DHS follows approved routine
uses described in the associated published system of records notices [DHS/USCIS-001 - Alien File, Index, and National
File Tracking System and DHS/USCIS-007 - Benefits Information System] and the published privacy impact assessments
[DHS/USCIS/PIA-016a Computer Linked Application Information Management System and Associated Systems,]
which you can find at www.dhs.gov/privacy. DHS may also share this information, as appropriate, for law enforcement
purposes or in the interest of national security.
For all others, as appropriate under United States law and DHS policy, the information you provide may be shared
internally within DHS, as well as with Federal, State, local, tribal, territorial, and foreign law enforcement; other
government agencies; and other parties as appropriate for collection, enforcement, investigatory, litigation, or other
purposes.

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Paperwork Reduction Act
An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information collection, and a person is not required to respond to a collection
of information, unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The public
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing
instructions, gathering the required documentation and information, completing the form, preparing statements, attaching
necessary documentation, and submitting the form. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect
of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, 20 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC
20529-2140; OMB No. 1615-0143. Do not mail your completed Form I-945 to this address.

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