DEFERRED ACTION PROGRAM UPDATE

US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that commencing August 15th, it will begin to accept applications for deportation relief from young persons without immigration status who were brought to the USA as children. Illegal immigrants younger than thirty years of age who came to the USA before the age of 16, have lived here for at least five years continuously, attend or have graduated from high school or college, and have no criminal convictions are eligible to submit requests for “Deferred Action” – an exemption from removal from the United States. In addition, the government clarified how it will define “felonies” and “significant misdemeanors” for deferred action purposes. It is important to note that only individuals who are currently not in lawful status, and were not in any lawful status on June 15, 2012 are eligible for deferred action. The US government filing fee of $465.00 will include a request for employment authorization. The Obama administration has stated that documentation provided in support of deferred action applications will be reviewed individually on a case by case basis at one of the four USCIS Service Centers. While USCIS did not give a time frame for processing of individual cases, some applicants are expected to be granted temporary legal status before the November election. The new deferred action provisions do not grant applicants with a path to US citizenship or the right to vote.

GREEN CARD LOTTERY REGISTRATION COMMENCES TUESDAY OCTOBER 2ND – NOVEMBER 3, 2012

Each fiscal year, the US Department of State makes 50,000 immigrant visas available through the DV lottery. Foreign nationals selected in this year’s lottery will be eligible to submit a green card application during the2014 fiscal year, which begins on October 1, 2013. To register, applicants must submit online forms and a digital photo through the official DV lottery website. Only one entry is permitted per person. If multiple registrations for one person are detected, the foreign national will be disqualified from consideration. Specific instructions regarding the registration procedures and a selection of countries eligible for registration has not yet been issued, but can be accessed at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov

Winners of the lottery are chosen by random selection and results are posted on the official DV lottery entry status website. No notifications occur via letter, email, fax or phone. The official website is the sole legitimate source for information concerning lottery results. Updates as to instructions for specific registration instructions, and the list of countries to be included may be found on the website, or by contacting one of our attorneys managing the US immigration practice at our firm.