resources including as reflected in checking and savings account statements and noncash assets and resources that can be converted into cash within 12 months such noncash assets may include real estate holdings securities and retirement and educational accounts as well as any other assets that can be easily converted into cash as per the draft proposalnoting that a person with a stable financial status may be less likely to use or receive public benefits dhs proposes that when considering an individuals financial status it will consider whether any aspect of the their financial status other than the assets and resources such as liabilities or past reliance on public benefits makes them more or less likely to become a public chargeas such dhs has proposed to consider receipt or use of public benefits as a negative factor in the totality of the circumstances because it is indicative of a weak financial status and likelihood that the foreign national will become a public chargeas part of establishing the financial status factor of a foreign applicant dhs has also proposed to check the credit history of the applicantnoting that an applicants education and skills are mandatory factors that must be considered in the public charge determination dhs said in general a foreign nationals with educational credentials and skills is more employable and less likely to become a public charge as such dhs would consider whether the alien has sufficient education and skills to obtain or maintain fulltime employment if authorized for employmentaccording to the draft proposal uscis will review a foreign applicants history of employment the high school degree or higher education occupational skills certifications or licenses and proficiency in english or another language as relevant to working fulltimethe administration is committed to enforcing existing immigration law which is clearly intended to protect the american taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals seeking to enter or remain in the us are selfsufficient dhs spokesperson katie waldman saidany proposed changes would ensure that the government takes the responsibility of being good stewards of taxpayer funds seriously and adjudicates immigration benefit requests in accordance with the law waldman added