H1B Visa Lawyer Blog
On Thursday, November 20, 2014, President Barack Obama announced his Temporary Plans to fix our broken immigration system.
The President’s Immigration Accountability Executive Actions will help secure the border, hold nearly 5 million undocumented immigrants accountable and ensure that everyone plays by the same rules.
As an Immigration Attorney, I see the results of our broken system every day and in the absence of Congressional action, the President had to act. While a lot of the details are still waiting to be filled in, we know that many of these changes will make a real impact. We are aware that these initiatives are not going to help everyone, as not everyone will be eligible. Therefore, we need to continue to pressure Congress into finishing the job by passing a bipartisan Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill.
The initiatives as announced by the President include:
• Expanding the population eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to young people who came to this country before turning 16 years old and have been present since January 1, 2010, and extending the period of DACA and work authorization from two years to three years
• Allowing parents of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been in the country since January 1, 2010, to request deferred action and employment authorization for three years, in a new Deferred Action for Parental Accountability program, provided they pass required background checks
• Expanding the use of provisional waivers of unlawful presence to include the spouses and sons and daughters of lawful permanent residents and the sons and daughters of U.S. citizens
• Modernizing, improving and clarifying immigrant and nonimmigrant programs to grow our economy and create jobs
• Promoting citizenship education and public awareness for lawful permanent residents and providing an option for naturalization applicants to use credit cards to pay the application fee
PLEASE NOTE – At this time NOTHING mentioned yesterday evening has been implemented. The President’s Address yesterday evening was just an announcement of what is expected to happen within the next few months. The various governmental agencies involved (DHS/DOS/CBP/USCIS/ICE/EOIR) are still working out the details.
PLEASE BE AWARE OF ANYONE WHO IS OFFERING TO HELP YOU AT THIS TIME. DO NOT BECOME A VICTIM. SPEAK WITH AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY!
*An Attorney has to have a license from a State Bar Association *If you Suspect Fraud, REPORT IT
—-
WHAT YOU CAN DO AT THIS TIME:
Speak with an Immigration Attorney to determine whether you are eligible for temporary relief
Start collecting the documents listed below now because you may need to
provide proof of:
Identity
• Birth certificate and a photo identification (ID). Passport, school or military ID, identification document from your country of origin like a Matricula Consular, or any U.S. document with your name and photo, like a Driver’s License or ID.
Entry to the United States Before a Particular Date
• Immigration record or documents with your date of entry, passport with admission stamp (Form I-94/I-95/I-94W), or travel records.
• You can also use medical records (including immunization record) or school records.
Presence and Residence in the United States From a Particular Date
• Proof of presence with dates and addresses using immigration documents, government records, medical records, military records, employment records, religious or community organizations records, insurance policies, tax records, etc.
• Bank receipts, financial records, credit card receipts, money order receipts, rental agreements, deeds, mortgages, utility bills, club memberships, etc.
Tax Filings
• If you do not have copies of your past filings, call the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at 1-800-908-9946 to order a transcript for free.
• If you have not filed your taxes, ask for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) by calling 1-800-829-1040 and file them.
Employment History & Residence History
• Record dates, names, and addresses of the places where you have worked.
• Record dates and address of the places where you have lived.
Criminal Records
• For Maryland- Maryland Judiciary Case Search
• For Virginia- General District Court Online
• For the District of Columbia-Court Case Search
Application Fee and Fines
• Start saving money for the application fee and for any fines.
• Also save money in case you need it for an attorney.
Record Keeping
• Record all of this information in a notebook, keep the original documents, and store them in a safe place.
Selective Service
• MALES ONLY. Some non-citizens are required to register. Others are not. Non-citizens who are not required to register with Selective Service include men who are in the U.S. on student or visitor visas, and men who are part of a diplomatic or trade mission and their families. Almost all other male non-citizens are required to register, including undocumented immigrants, legal permanent residents, and refugees. The general rule is that if a male non-citizen takes up residency in the U.S. before his 26th birthday, he must register with Selective Service.
Visit the SSS website , print, complete, sign and mail to:
Selective Service System P.O. Box 94739 Palatine, IL 60094-4739
Stay tuned to our Immigration blog, Facebook page, and Twitter feeds for more information as it becomes available!