(photo credit: uscis.gov)
According to Homeland
Security,
as of January 2011, there is an estimated 11.5 Million “unauthorized immigrant”
population residing in the US .
The top 10 countries include Mexico ,
El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras ,
China , Philippines , India ,
Korea , Ecuador and Vietnam . The top 10 state of
residence are California (2.8M), Texas
(1.7M), Florida, New York, Illinois, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina,
Arizona and Washington. About 6.7 million are under 34 years of age – most of whom
where brought by their parents to the US at a very young age.
On June 15, 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security Janet
Napolitano announced President Obama’s Executive Order on the Deferred Action
for eligible childhood arrivals (also known as DREAMers). If eligible, the
person may request deferred action for two years (which is subject to renewal),
and would also be eligible for work authorization.
Under this Directive, if you’re an unauthorized immigrant,
you may request consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals if you:
1)
Were under the age of
31 as of June 15, 2012;
2)
Came to the United States
before reaching your 16th birthday;
3)
Have continuously
resided in the United States
since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;
4)
Were physically
present in the United States
on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making your request for consideration of
deferred action with USCIS;
5)
Entered without
inspection before June 15, 2012, or your lawful immigration status expired as
of June 15, 2012;
6)
Are currently in
school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high
school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are
an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the
United States; and
7)
Have not been
convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other
misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public
safety.
Beginning August 15, 2012, application
forms for consideration of deferred action and employment authorization will be
available online through the USCIS website (www.uscis.gov.) The total fees will be $465. All
requests received before August 15, 2012, will be rejected.
As millions of “childhood arrivals”
wait for the applications to be available online, hundreds of organizations and/or individuals may take
advantage of their desperation. It is advisable to be aware of the provisions of the directive. There are various
non-profit, pro-bono organizations, such as the National Federation of Filipino
Associations (NaFFAA) and the Filipino-American Legal Defense & Education
Fund (FALDEF), that are willing to help assist in processing the paperwork (free of charge). The best way to get information is to contact
your respective Consulate.
As President Obama said in his
speech on June 15, 2012,
“Now, let’s be clear – this is not amnesty, this is not immunity. This
is not a path to citizenship. It’s not a permanent fix. This is a temporary
stopgap measure that lets us focus our resources wisely while giving a degree
of relief and hope to talented, driven, patriotic young people.”
ANNOUNCEMENT:
On Tuesday, August 21st , the Philippine Consul General of NY, NaFFAA and FALDEF are sponsoring a Town Hall Discussion at the Philippine Center Kalayaan Hall. There will be a panel of lawyers, headed by FALDEF
President, J.T. Mallonga. The event is a joint venture by the Philippine Consul
General of NY, NaFFAA and FALDEF.
Be Aware. Be Involved.
