Request for Cancellation of Public Charge Bond

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

USCIS
Form I-356

OMB No. 1615-0141
Expires 10/31/2021

What Is the Purpose of Form I-356?
You should use this form to request cancellation of the public charge bond that was submitted on behalf of an alien on
Form I-945, Public Charge Bond.

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Who Should Complete and File Form I-356?

Form I-356 can be submitted to request cancellation of the public charge bond by the alien on whose behalf the public
charge bond was posted, the alien’s attorney or accredited representative, if any, or, if the alien is deceased, the executor
of the alien’s estate. Form I-356 can also be filed by the obligor (the person who posted the bond for the alien) or the
obligor’s authorized agent (co-obligor, for surety companies only).
This request must be submitted according to the instructions provided in this request and the direct filing instructions
posted on www.uscis.gov. Either the obligor (or the agent/co-obligor, if any) or the alien (or the alien’s executor or
accredited representative, if any) may submit this form. The alien (or the alien’s executor, or the alien’s attorney or
accredited representative, if any) may submit Form I-356 (and evidence that the conditions of the bond have been met)
without the obligor or any agent/co-obligor, but USCIS encourages completion of the entire form.
NOTE: This request does not have to be filed if a substitute bond is submitted to release an obligor from the current
liability of a public charge bond posted with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on the alien’s behalf.
For more information about substitution of a public charge bond, please see Form I-945, Public Charge Bond, and its
Instructions.

When Will USCIS Cancel a Public Charge Bond?

A public charge bond will be cancelled once the alien dies, has permanently departed from the United States, is
naturalized, or after the fifth anniversary of the alien becoming a lawful permanent resident (LPR). See Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA) section 213 and 8 CFR 103.6(c)(1).
Regardless of the reason cancellation of the public charge bond is requested, USCIS will only cancel the public charge
bond if:
1. The obligor (or agent/co-obligor) or the alien (or the alien’s attorney or accredited representative, if any, or if the alien
is deceased, the executor of the alien’s estate) files this form to request cancellation of the public charge bond; and
2. The public charge bond was not breached. A bond is breached when there has been a substantial violation of the
stipulated conditions, such as the receipt of any means-tested public benefit.
When examining whether the public charge can be cancelled, USCIS evaluates whether there has been a breach of the
bond and all requirements for cancellation are met.
If this request and the evidence does not establish that the bond can be cancelled, the bond will remain in place until the
conditions for cancellation of the bond are met. USCIS will inform the obligor and the alien of the decision. The obligor,
but not the alien (or the alien’s representative, if applicable), may appeal the decision in accordance with 8 CFR 103,
Subpart A.

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General Instructions
We provide free forms through the USCIS website. To view, print, or complete our forms, you should use the latest
version of Adobe Reader, which you can download for free at http://get.adobe.com/reader/. If you do not have Internet
access, you may call the USCIS Contact Center and ask that we mail a form to you.
Signature. You (or your signing authority) must properly complete your request. USCIS will not accept a stamped or
typewritten name in place of any signature on this request. If you are under 14 years of age, your parent or legal guardian
may sign the request on your behalf. A legal guardian may also sign for a mentally incompetent person. If your request is
not signed, or if the signature is not valid, we will reject your request. See 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii)(A). If USCIS accepts a
request for adjudication and determines that it has a deficient signature, USCIS will deny the request.

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Validity of Signatures. USCIS will consider a photocopied, faxed, or scanned copy of the original, handwritten signature
valid for filing purposes. The photocopy, fax, or scan must be of the original document containing the handwritten, ink
signature. Executors signing on behalf of a deceased alien must submit a certified copy of the document that establishes
the legal authority to act on behalf of the alien’s estate, such as a small estate affidavit, a will, or a court order.
Evidence. When you file your request, you must submit all evidence and supporting documentation listed in the
Instructions.
Biometric Services Appointment. USCIS may require you to appear for an interview or provide biometrics (fingerprints,
photograph, and/or signature) at any time to verify your identity, obtain additional information, and conduct background
and security checks, including a check of criminal history records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), before making a decision on your application or petition. If we determine that a biometric services appointment
is necessary, we will send you an appointment notice with the date, time, and location of your appointment. If you are
currently overseas, your notice will instruct you to contact a U.S. Embassy, U.S. Consulate, or USCIS office outside the
United States to schedule an appointment.
At your biometrics appointment, you must sign an oath reaffirming that:
1. You provided or authorized all information in the request;

2. You reviewed and understood all of the information contained in, and submitted with, your request; and
3. All of this information was complete, true, and correct at the time of filing.

If you do not attend your biometric services appointment, we may deny your request.

Copies. You should submit legible photocopies of requested documents unless the Instructions specifically instruct you to
submit an original document. USCIS may request an original document at any time during our process. If we request an
original document from you, we will return it to you after USCIS determines it no longer needs the original.
NOTE: If you submit original documents when not required or requested USCIS may destroy them after we receive
them.
Translations. If you submit a document with information in a foreign language, you must also submit a full English
translation. The translator must sign a certification that the English language translation is complete and accurate, and
that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English. The certification must also include the
translator’s signature, printed name, the signature date, and the translator’s contact information.
USCIS Contact Center. For additional information on the form and instructions about where to file, change of address,
and other questions, visit the USCIS Contact Center at www.uscis.gov/contactcenter or call 800-375-5283 (TTY 800767-1833). The USCIS Contact Center provides information in English and Spanish.

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How to Fill Out Form I-356
1. Type or print legibly in black ink.
2. If you need extra space to complete any item within this form, use the space provided in Part 8. Additional
Information or attach a separate sheet of paper. Type or print the alien’s name and Alien Registration Number
(A-Number) (if any), and the obligor’s name and bond receipt number 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.
3. 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.

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Specific Instructions

Part 1. Obligor and Agent/Co-Obligor Information (To Be Completed by the Obligor or Agent/Co-Obligor)
Provide the obligor’s, agent/co-obligor’s, and bond information as requested in the form. For surety bonds, please include
the name of the surety company.
Part 2. Obligor’s or Agent/Co-Obligor’s Contact Information, Certification, and Signature (To Be Completed By
the Obligor or Agent/Co-Obligor)
Choose the appropriate statement and complete the needed entries. Then sign and date the certification in the appropriate
spaces.
Part 3. Information about the Alien for Whom the Public Charge Bond Was Issued (To Be Completed By the Alien
or the Alien’s Executor)
Item Number 1. 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. Your A-Number
appears on the front of Form I-551, your Permanent Resident Card. If you have more than one A-Number, use the space
provided in Part 8. Additional Information to provide the information. If you do not have the A-Number, leave this
space blank.
Item Number 2. U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) (if any). Provide the U.S. Social Security Number, if you have
one.
Item Number 3. USCIS Online Account Number (if any). Providing your unique USCIS Online Account Number
(OAN) helps you manage your online account. You have an Online Account Number if you previously filed an
application, petition, or request online or by mail and were issued a receipt number that begins with IOE. If you filed a
form online, you can find your OAN in your USCIS Online Account profile. If you mailed your form, you can find your
OAN at the top of the USCIS Account Access Notice we sent you. The OAN is not the same as an A-Number. If you do
not have a receipt number beginning with IOE, you do not have an OAN.
Item Number 4. Current Legal Name. Provide your legal name, as shown on your birth certificate or legal name
change document. If you have two last names, include both and use a hyphen (-) between the names, if appropriate. Type
or print your last, first, and middle names in each appropriate field.
Item Number 5. Other Names You May Have Used Since Birth. Provide all the names you have used since birth,
including maiden name, any nicknames, and any names that appear in your documents. If you need extra space, use Part
8. Additional Information to provide other names used.
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Item Number 6. Sex. Indicate whether you are male or female as provided on your birth certificate issued at the time of
birth or issued closest to the time of birth or in secondary evidence you provided to USCIS, if applicable.
Item Number 7. Date of Birth. Enter your 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 you were born. Type or print
the name of the country as it was named when you were born, even if the country’s name has changed or the country no
longer exists.
Item Number 9. Country of Citizenship or Nationality. Provide the name of the country where you are a citizen. This
is not necessarily the country where you were born. If you do not have citizenship in any country, type or print “stateless”
and provide an explanation in Part 8. Additional Information.

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Item Number 10. Mailing Address. Provide a valid mailing address.

Item Number 11. Physical Address. If the place where you live is different from your mailing address, type or print the
address where you currently live.
Part 4. Reason for Cancellation of the Bond

Answer the questions below and provide the information requested. You should indicate whether any of the circumstances
addressed in the questions have occurred since you adjusted your status to that of a lawful permanent resident (for which a
bond was submitted on your behalf).)
Item Number 2. U.S. Citizenship. Indicate whether or not you have become a U.S. citizen. If yes, please provide proof
of your citizenship.
Item Number 3. Permanently Departed the United States. Indicate that you permanently departed the United States.
For the specific purpose of cancelling a bond, evidence of such permanent departure may include:
1. Evidence that you have submitted Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status, from
outside the United States and have actually departed the United States;
2. Evidence that you departed or were physically removed from the United States after you received a final order of
removal, exclusion, or deportation; or
3. Evidence that an immigration judge granted you voluntary departure under INA section 240B, and that you departed
while the voluntary departure order was in effect.
Provide all information that is requested in Item Number 3. and attach the evidence that is requested in each Item
Number.
USCIS will not cancel a bond in certain situations, even if you may have abandoned or lost your lawful permanent
resident status. These situations include the following:
1. You left the United States to live abroad permanently and with the intention to abandon your LPR status but did not
submit Form I-407 from outside the United States and according to its instructions;
2. Your lawful permanent resident status was rescinded or revoked, whether in removal proceedings or not, but you are
unable to show that you have left the United States; or
3. You have an outstanding voluntary departure order or outstanding removal (or exclusion or deportation) order but you
have not yet departed the United States or have not yet been removed, excluded, or deported.

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Item Number 4. Deceased. If the alien for whom the public bond charge was posted died since the bond was posted,
and you are the executor of the alien’s estate, please answer the questions and provide the information requested in Items
A. through B. and Item Number 4., including your relationship to the deceased. Please attach a certified copy of the
document that establishes your legal authority to act on behalf of the alien’s estate, such as a, small estate affidavit, will, or
a court order, or your relationship to the deceased. Please also provide a certified copy of the death certificate.
Item Number 5. Five Years After Becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident. Answer “Yes” if you have been a lawful
permanent resident for at least five years. Provide the date when you became a lawful permanent resident, in mm/dd/yyyy
format. Provide a copy of your lawful permanent resident card.
Item Number 6. Receipt of Public Benefits. Answer “Yes” if the alien received any means-tested public benefit.
Provide a description of the public benefits received and the dates when the benefits were received, as well as the source
that provided the benefit (the Federal, or a specific State, territorial, tribal, or local government or government agency).

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Part 5. Alien’s (or Alien’s Executor’s) Contact Information, Certification, and Signature

You must sign and date your request and, if applicable, provide your daytime telephone number, mobile telephone
number, and email address. The signature of a parent or legal guardian, if applicable, is acceptable. A stamped or
typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable.
Part 6. Interpreter’s Contact Information, Certification, and Signature

Item Numbers 1. - 7. If you used anyone as an interpreter to read the Instructions and questions on this request to you in
a language in which you are fluent, the interpreter must fill out this section and sign and date the request.
Part 7. Contact Information, Declaration, and Signature of the Person Preparing Parts of Form I-356, if Other
Than the Alien (or the Alien’s Executor)
The person who completed your request, if other than the alien or the alien’s executor, must sign this section. If the
same individual acted as your interpreter and your preparer, then that person should complete both Part 6. and Part 7. A
stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable.
Part 8. Additional Information

If you need extra space to provide any additional information within this Form I-356, use the space provided in Part 8.
Additional Information. If you need more space than what is provided in Part 8., you may make copies of Part 8. to
complete and submit with Form I-356. Type or print the alien’s name and A-Number (if any) 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.

We recommend that you print or save a copy of your completed request for your records.

What Evidence Must You Submit?
You must submit all evidence requested in these Instructions. If you, the obligor or agent/co-obligor, or the alien, fail
to submit required evidence, USCIS may deny the request to cancel the bond in accordance with 8 CFR 103.2 and these
Instructions.

What Is the Filing Fee?
See USCIS Form G-1055, Fee Schedule, available at www.uscis.gov/g-1055, for all information on filing fees.

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Where To File?
Please see our website at www.uscis.gov/I-356 for the most current information about where to file this request

Processing Information
USCIS will reject any Form I -356 that is not signed or is incomplete. You may resubmit the Form I-356 once it is
completed and signed.

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Requests for More Information. If USCIS cannot make a cancellation determination based on the Form I-356 and
initial evidence submitted, USCIS may request that you provide additional information or evidence. We may also request
that you provide the originals of any copies you submit. If we request an original document from you, it will be returned
to you after USCIS determines it no longer needs your original.
Requests for Interview. We may request that you appear at a USCIS office for an interview. At the time of any interview
or other appearance at a USCIS office, we may require that you provide your biometrics to verify your identity and/or
update background and security checks.

USCIS Forms and Information

To ensure you are using the latest version of this request, visit www.uscis.gov.

Penalties

If you, the obligor, co-obligor or the alien, knowingly and willfully falsify or conceal a material fact or submit a false
document with your Form I-356, USCIS may deny the request to cancel 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 request, you, the obligor, co-obligor and alien, have stated under penalty of perjury (28 USC 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 determine your eligibility for the immigration
benefit you are seeking and consent to USCIS verifying such information.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the authority to verify any information you submit to establish that the
bond should be cancelled. Our legal authority to verify this information is in Title 8 USC sections 1103, 1182, and 1183,
and 8 CFR Parts 103 and 213, as well as Title 26 USC 6109, Title 31 U.S.C. 7701 and Executive Order 9397. To ensure
compliance with applicable laws and authorities, we may verify information before or after your case is decided.
Agency verification methods may include, but are not limited to: reviewing public records and information; contacting
through written correspondence, using the internet, fax, other electronic transmission, or telephone; making unannounced
physical site inspections of residences and locations of employment; and interviewing people. USCIS will use the
information we obtain to assess your compliance with the laws and to determine your eligibility for an immigration
benefit.

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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 compliance review, verification, or site visit before a decision is made
on your request. For a visit after your request is approved, USCIS will provide you with an opportunity to address any
adverse or derogatory information which may result in revocation or termination of an approval.

DHS Privacy Notice
AUTHORITIES: USCIS is collecting the information requested on this form, and the associated evidence, is collected
under the Immigration and Nationality Act sections 103 and 212(a)(4) and 213, as well as Title 26 USC 6109, Title 31
USC 7701 and Executive Order 9397.

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PURPOSE: The primary purpose for providing the requested information on this form is to determine whether the public
charge bond should be cancelled. USCIS uses the information you provide to grant or deny the request for cancellation of
the public charge bond.
DISCLOSURE: The information you provide is voluntary. However, failure to provide the requested information,
including your TIN and Social Security number (if applicable), and any requested evidence, may delay a final decision or
result in denial of your request.
ROUTINE USES: DHS may, where allowable under relevant confidentiality provisions, 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.

Paperwork Reduction Act

An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information collection, and you are 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 0.75 hours per response, including the time for
reviewing instructions, gathering the required documentation and information, completing the application, preparing
statements, and attaching necessary documentation. 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, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, 5900 Capital Gateway Drive, Mail Stop #2140,
Camp Springs, MD 20588-0009; OMB No. 1615-0141. Do not mail your completed Form I-356 to this address.

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