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DREAMers – No Fear! La lucha continua!

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Donald Trump may have announced the end of DACA by the time you read this – or not. The Speaker of the House,Paul Ryan, today urged Trump to continue the DACA program. That is because of your struggle and your advocacy. Dreamers have had a voice since the beginning of this program. It was Dreamers … Continue reading →

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  • Secretary Napolitano Announces Final Rule to Support Family Unity During Waiver ProcessRelease Date: January 2, 2013For Immediate ReleaseDHS Press OfficeContact: 202-282-8010WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced the posting of a final rule in the Federal Register that reduces the time U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives (spouse, children and parents), who are in the process of obtaining visas to become lawful permanent residents of the United States under certain circumstances. The final rule establishes a process that allows certain individuals to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver before they depart the United States to attend immigrant visa interviews in their countries of origin. The process will be effective on March 4, 2013 and more information about the filing process will be made available in the coming weeks at http://www.uscis.gov/. “This final rule facilitates the legal immigration process and reduces the amount of time that U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives who are in the process of obtaining an immigrant visa,” said Secretary Napolitano. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received more than 4,000 comments in response to the April 2, 2012 proposed rule and considered all of them in preparing the final rule.   “The law is designed to avoid extreme hardship to U.S. citizens, which is precisely what this rule achieves,” USCIS Director Mayorkas said. “The change will have a significant impact on American families by greatly reducing the time family members are separated from those they rely upon.” Under current law, immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who are not eligible to adjust status in the United States to become lawful permanent residents must leave the U.S. and obtain an immigrant visa abroad. Individuals who have accrued more than six months of unlawful presence while in the United States must obtain a waiver to overcome the unlawful presence inadmissibility bar before they can return to the United States after departing to obtain an immigrant visa. Under the existing waiver process, which remains available to those who do not qualify for the new process, immediate relatives cannot file a waiver application until after they have appeared for an immigrant visa interview abroad and the Department of State has determined that they are inadmissible. In order to obtain a provisional unlawful presence waiver, the applicant must be an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen, inadmissible only on account of unlawful presence, and demonstrate the denial of the waiver would result in extreme hardship to his or her U.S. citizen spouse or parent. USCIS will publish a new form, Form I-601A, Application for a Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver, for individuals to use when applying for a provisional unlawful presence waiver under the new process. Under the new provisional waiver process, immediate relatives must still depart the United States for the consular immigrant visa process; however, they can apply for a provisional waiver before they depart for their immigrant visa interview abroad. Individuals who file the Form I-601A must notify the Department of State’s National Visa Center that they are or will be seeking a provisional waiver from USCIS. The new process will reduce the amount of time U.S. citizen are separated from their qualifying immediate relatives. Details on the process changes are available at http://www.regulations.gov/. 
  • Con la elección del Presidente Barack Obama el futuro del programa de inmigración esta seguro. Aquí en los condados de Skagit, San Juan y Whatcom estamos siguiendo con nuestras presentaciones de clínicas legales - talleres con abogados para asesorarles sobre sus aplicaciones para Acción Diferida. Upcoming clinics for DACA - all dates are Saturdays/ todas las fechas son sabados: Skagit County: Mount Vernon November 17 - Skagit Valley College - 8:30 a.m. San Juan County: Friday Harbor December 1 - San Juan Middle School 10 a 2 pm. Whatcom County: Bellingham Date and Location to be announced Skagit County: Mount Vernon January 12 - Skagit Valley College - 8:30 a.m.
  • President Obama's announcement on June 15th of Deferred Action on DREAM-eligible young people was a nice gesture, but it does not address the fundamental problems of immigration reform, nor does it give people who qualify a pathway to citizenship or adjustment of status. PROS: You may be eligible for a Work Permit and a Social Security card. You may have authorization to stay in the country for two years. These privileges may be renewed and extended indefinitely for two years at a time. CONS: You will not be eligible for turning this into legal residency or citizenship. You are letting the Department of Homeland Security know that you are undocumented. The policy may be overturned if there is a new president next January. If you have a criminal record, even as a juvenile or misdemeanors, or you have ever had any kind of immigration problems, you NEED TO TALK TO AN EXPERIENCED IMMIGRATION LAWYER. You are going to have to think seriously about whether you want to take these risks. Will work authorization make a big difference to you? Do you want to work in an area that requires valid Social Secuity, or is that part of your educational plan - like an internship or practicum? You need to think about these things and make your own informed decision...