Category Archives: Immigration Reform News

Immigration News, Immigration Reform News

The Expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals starts in February

The expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) begins on February 18, 2015. On that day, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting applications under the expanded guidelines announced by the President in November of 2014. The DACA program grants a period of deferred action for eligible individuals who entered the U.S. before the age of 16. With deferred action, the government agrees to issue an Employment Authorization card and not deport an individual.

Eligibility under the new DACA program includes the following changes:

  • There is no age limitation, the applicant no longer has to have been born before Jun 15, 1981;
  • Applicants must prove continuous presence in the U.S. since January 1, 2010 (the prior continuous presence date was June 15, 2007).
  • Approved applicants will receive deferred action and work authorization for three years instead of two.

All other DACA guidelines remain the same. To find out if you qualify under the new program, please schedule a consultation.

See the full requirements for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Immigration Reform News

Immigration Executive Action to be Announced Thursday, November 20

THE PRESIDENT IS SET TO ANNOUNCE HIS PLANS FOR EXECUTIVE ACTION ON IMMIGRATION TOMORROW AT 8:00 pm.

President Obama will announce his plans on national TV during a prime time event Thursday evening. Full details will be announced by the President at a rally in Las Vegas on Friday.

We will post full details as soon as we have them.

Immigration Reform News

Senate Passes Security Ammendment to Proposed Immigration Bill

June 24, 2013

A bipartisan ammendment to the proposed Senate Immigration Reform Bill designed to strengthen border security passed in the Senate today by a vote of 67-to-27. The vote was considered a test for overall support of the Immigration Bill. The border security amendment includes addition of 20,000 more border agents, completion of 700 miles of fence along the U.S./Mexico border, and $3.2 billion in funding for other technology measures to enforce the border.

Inclusion of these security measures in the bill gains support from more members of the Senate making passage of the Senate Immigration Reform Bill more likely.

Senate leaders plan a final vote on the reform bill before Congress recesses at the end of this week for the Fourth of July holiday.

If enacted, the Immigration Reform Bill may create a path to permanent residency and citizenship for approximatley 11 million undocumented immigrants. A permanent pathway to citizenship and border security are the critical issues as the bill advances to the House of Representatives in whether the bill will become law.

Immigration Reform News

Senators Reveal Proposed Immigration Bill

The details of the proposed Immigration Bill have been released by the “Gang of Eight” Senators. The proposed bill allows for undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States before December 31, 2011 to be eligible for legal residency called “registered provisional immigrant status”. Some prohibitions to qualification include any felony convictions in U.S. or foreign courts or more than three misdemeanor convictions.

The proposed bill would also require undocumented immigrants to pay a penalty of up to $500 for having come to the United States illegally and pay all back taxes.

The registered provisional immigrant status lasts for six years and can be extended for an additional $500 fee, if the applicant has not gotten into trouble with the law.

After 10 years as provisional residents, immigrants could become lawful permanent residents.
Separate provisions for agricultural workers

Agricultural workers who are currently in the country illegally would be allowed to apply for a new “blue card” if they have worked in the U.S. agriculture industry for at least 100 days in the two years prior to December 31, 2012.

Applicants would also have to pay a $400 fee, show they have paid their taxes and have no criminal convictions. Blue card holders would be eligible for permanent legal residency in only five years.

The proposed bill also establishes minimum wages for certain workers.

Border Security

The proposed bill calls for $3 billion to beef up border security. It also requires constant surveillance of high-risk border areas and demands that border officers turn back at least 90% of those who attempt illegal border crossings each year.

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