On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced two programs providing protection from deportation for SOME undocumented people who have been living in the United States since January 1, 2010: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA).
Undocumented people who came to the U.S. as children and meet other requirements may qualify for DACA. Undocumented people who are parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents who meet other requirements may qualify for DAPA.
There are 5 things you should know:
1. No one can apply yet. Undocumented people can apply for Expanded DACA on/about February 18, 2015. Undocumented people should be able to apply for the new DAPA program on/about May 19, 2015.
Personas podrán aplicar para la versión expandida de DACA llegando febrero 18, 2015. Personas podrán aplicar para el nuevo programa de DAPA llegando mayo 19, 2015.
2. Not everyone will qualify. Being the parent of a United States Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident child is not the only requirement under the DAPA program. Being a childhood arrival is not the only requirement to prove you qualify for the DACA program. Undocumented people must meet other requirements under the programs including a criminal history check.
Solamente ser padre de un ciudadano Americano o residente permanente no es suficiente para demostrar que califica para el programa de DAPA. Ud. deberá cumplir con otros requisitos.
3. Before applying for any program, get legal help. Talk to someone who is qualified to give you legal advice, such as an immigration attorney. Look on www.ailalawyer.com to find an immigration lawyer near you.
Hable con alguien calificado para proveerle asistencia legal como un abogado de inmigración. Busque en www.ailalawyer.com para encontrar un abogado de inmigración en su vecindad.
4. Submitting the wrong information will jeopardize your chances of obtaining protection from deportation. Make sure all the information and documentation is true and correct. Undocumented people can start collecting supporting documents now and should also save money for the USCIS filing fee.
Asegúrese que toda la información y documentación es verídica y correcta. Usted puede empezar a reunir los documentos en apoyo a su solicitud ahora.
5. Don’t get scammed. There are some notarios and other unscrupulous people who are already trying to take advantage of these new programs. They will make promises they can’t deliver on, and could make Undocumented people a target for deportation. Go to www.stopnotariofraud.org for more information.
Hay notarios y otras personas sin escrúpulos que ya intentan aprovecharse de esta noticia. Le harán promesas que no podrán cumplir, y Ud. podría ser sujeto a una deportación. Visite www.stopnotariofraud.org para más información.
Gulf Coast Immigration (GCI) warns against the threat of the unauthorized practice of law by unqualified practitioners and immigration scams. Only attorneys or Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) accredited representatives under appropriate program should be assisting immigrants with their applications for DACA and DAPA programs. Programs are not yet effective. The USCIS will not accept any requests or applications until these programs are available. GCI advises anyone who believes they may be eligible for relief under these changes to beware of anyone who offers to help you submit an application or a request for any of these actions before they are available. Further as a member of theAmerican Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), GCI strongly urges anyone who might be affected to view AILA’s video which was developed in order to combating notario fraud related to President Obama's executive action on immigration.
Stop Notario Fraud(English); Stop Notario Fraud(Spanish)
For more information on Notario Fraud, visit www.stopnotariofraud.org.
If you have questions about Comprehensive Immigration Reform and President Obama’s Immigration Accountability Executive Action, please contact Sujin Kim, Esq. at (251) 387-2544/(251) 379-8065 or skim@gcimmigration.com