Washington ESD unemployment benefits - is unemployment a public charge for immigration?

Unemployment insurance is NOT considered a public charge for immigration purposes. You paid into the system through your payroll taxes, so you're entitled to these benefits. The public charge rule mainly applies to means-tested benefits like food stamps or Medicaid, not earned benefits like unemployment.

You definitely should file for your unemployment benefits. The public charge rule specifically excludes unemployment compensation because it's an insurance program you contributed to. Just make sure you're actively job searching and meeting all the Washington ESD requirements for your weekly claims.

I was in the exact same situation 2 years ago. Filed for Washington ESD benefits on my green card and had zero issues with immigration. Actually got my citizenship approved last year with no questions about the UI benefits. You're overthinking this - file your claim!

If you're having trouble getting through to Washington ESD to file your claim, I recently discovered this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you actually reach a real person at unemployment offices. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Saved me hours of busy signals.

wait i thought all government benefits counted as public charge?? this is confusing

My immigration lawyer specifically told me that unemployment benefits are fine to collect. The public charge rule targets people who might become dependent on government assistance, but UI is temporary and you earned it through your work.

Been on green card for 8 years, collected unemployment twice during that time. Never had any issues with renewals or anything. You're good to go - file that claim with Washington ESD ASAP!

The whole public charge thing is really misunderstood. Like others said, UI doesn't count. But even if it did, you have a green card already so the rules are different than for people applying for visas or green cards for the first time.

I'm not an immigration expert but I know people always get scared about this stuff unnecessarily. You worked, you paid taxes, you lost your job through no fault of your own. That's exactly what unemployment insurance is for!

For what it's worth, I've been helping people with Washington ESD claims for years and I've never seen anyone have immigration issues from collecting UI benefits. The bigger concern is making sure you meet all the eligibility requirements and don't get disqualified for something silly.

UNEMPLOYMENT IS NOT PUBLIC CHARGE! Sorry for the caps but I see this question constantly and it drives me crazy how much misinformation is out there. You earned those benefits through your work history.

If you're still worried, you could always consult with an immigration attorney, but honestly it seems like overkill for this situation. Everyone here is giving you the same advice - file your claim!

Just want to add that you should also make sure to report any freelance or gig work income when you file your weekly claims. Even small amounts need to be reported to Washington ESD or you could face penalties later.

Another vote for filing your claim! I was worried about this exact same thing when I first got laid off. Turns out I worried for nothing and missed out on benefits I was entitled to for weeks.

The key thing to remember is that public charge determinations look at whether someone is likely to become primarily dependent on government benefits. Temporary unemployment benefits while actively job searching doesn't fit that criteria at all.

Just echoing what everyone else said - you're totally fine to collect unemployment. I've been through this with multiple green card holders and never seen any issues. Focus on your job search and don't stress about the immigration stuff.

One more thing - if you do have trouble getting through to Washington ESD on the phone, that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier is legit. Used it myself when I had an issue with my weekly claim certification and it saved me a ton of time.

Update us on how your claim goes! I'm always curious to hear how smooth the Washington ESD process is for different people.

I went through this exact same worry when I lost my job last year! The anxiety about immigration consequences really got to me, but everyone here is absolutely right - unemployment insurance is completely separate from public charge considerations. The fact that you've been paying into the system through your payroll taxes means you've literally earned these benefits. I ended up filing my Washington ESD claim and had no issues whatsoever. The hardest part was actually getting through their phone system, but the online application worked fine for me. Don't let the fear keep you from getting the financial support you need while job hunting!