As an immigration attorney, I have the privilege of working with people from all sorts of different cultures and countries. My favorite part of immigration law is visiting USCIS and sitting in the waiting room with handfuls of other people and seeing them interact with their loved ones. It's such a unique experience to observe how differently we interact with each other and how each of our unique cultures has shaped us.

Today is the first day of the new lunar year, which is the biggest holiday in my culture. I am a second generation Chinese American, and Chinese New Year has always been the most celebrated holiday in my family. While traditions and customs vary depending on where your family origins are, for me Lunar New Year is a holiday focused on food, family and of course red envelopes! 

In my family, we traditionally spend Lunar New Year's Eve together and share a meal with many dishes. Last night, for 6 of us, we had 10 dishes! Each dish with some sort of significance- for instance, fish is a very traditional dish for New Years. The word for fish, 鱼, sounds similar to the word for abundance, 余. In wishing that our new years are filled with abundance (aka wealth), we eat fish! In preparation for the new year, we are supposed to clean our homes, take out the garbage, do the laundry, and generally be ready to start the new year fresh! 

On New Year's day, my grandmother makes homemade eggrolls and rice cakes- the highlight of my New Year's celebration. We make the rounds and greet all the elders with a "Gong Hey Fat Choy, Sun Leen Fai Lok" which is a wish for prosperity and happy new year. The best part is that when you wish others "Gong Hey Fat Choy", the married elders will give you a red envelope with money in return!  But red envelopes are only given to those who are unmarried and once you are married, you become one of the givers of red envelopes instead of a receiver. So for you singles out there, enjoy it while it lasts!

Happy Lunar New Year! Wishing you all health, prosperity and happiness in the year of the horse!

How is my immigration case affected by the federal government shutdown?

I was about to write a post on this topic, then saw this article that pretty much sums it up:
http://immigrationimpact.com/2013/09/30/how-a-government-shutdown-likely-affects-immigration-agencies/
And then this one: http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/heres-shutdown-affects-immigration-services/story?id=20431892

Let's leave those articles to the pros, but in short, those with applications with USCIS should not be directly affected since USCIS is funded primarily by application fees. All USCIS offices are currently open and operating as normal.  http://www.uscis.gov/

Visas processed through the Department of State (at consulates) should also continue to be processed.  http://www.state.gov/m/rls/2013/214880.htm

Those in removal proceedings will have their court dates rescheduled unless they are detained. Detained court dates will continue to take place. http://www.justice.gov/eoir/ICstatus.htm

Don't think that the federal government shut down is a good time to meander across the border without documents-Customs and Border Protection, and ICE are all still fully operational.

...And we're back!

Wow, where has the time gone? One-third of 2013 has already gone by and this blog has unfortunately been very neglected, but it doesn't mean I haven't been keeping you all in mind. Here's a mishmash of updates to get you caught up on the going ons of Jennifer Chang Law (namely me- Jennifer Chang).

Got Financial Aid?
Waaaaaay back in January, I volunteered with Cash for College at two FAFSA events- one at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, and one at Gunderson High School in San Jose. I helped high school seniors fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. At the time, unfortunately the California Dream Act application, which grants undocumented students financial aid for higher education, was not yet available online (bummer!). But through Cash for College, everyone who attended one of the Financial Aid workshops was entered to win a $1000 scholarship for college, meaning each location had a $1000 winner!

My most memorable moment- a student asking me if he should check "single" or "married" on his application since he wasn't single, but wasn't married. He concluded that he should just check "married"... luckily he sought help and was informed that he is legally "single" (much to his girlfriend's chagrin, I'm sure).

Note: This photo is a dramatization, no minors were hurt in the shooting of this photo.

CLE
Also in January, I taught my very first CLE course! As a lawyer, we're required to complete a certain amount of Continuing Legal Education every three years, just to keep our knowledge current. I taught my very first course to a group of colleagues on the topic of the AILA website. AILA (American Immigration Lawyer's Association) is the immigration organization- basically all immigration attorneys are members, and their website is a great resource on immigration, but it's organization is a bit confusing. My hour-long course helped get my colleagues acquainted with the website and all the resources AILA has to offer!

Naturalization Clinic
At the end of February, I volunteered my attorney services at a naturalization clinic in San Jose. This clinic was targeted at Legal Permanent Residents who were applying for citizenship and either were receiving public benefits or where otherwise considered "low-income".  I thought it'd be similar to some of the DACA (Deferred Action) clinics that I've volunteered at- maybe 50 people in attendance? I was no at all prepared for what I saw. They had hundreds of people filling a very large, almost supermarket-sized room. I arrived a bit late, but once I got there I was thrown into the mix reviewing completed applications. While the workshop started at 4pm, there were people who were lined up before noon! And it paid off, because there were so many people to help, they had to shoo us out at almost 9pm, when it was scheduled to end at 8pm!

Nicaragua
I just spent my Spring Break in Nicaragua! It was an eye-opening experience that shed light on a different perspective of immigration in the U.S. Stay tuned for a post dedicated to this trip- it was too enlightening to hide in a post with so many updates!

That's it for now... Stay tuned for more regular updates. There are multiple posts already floating in my head!

Unlawful Presence Waivers

USCIS published its final version of a much anticipated new rule that will allow certain immediate family members of U.S. citizens who are physically present in the United States to apply for a waiver to waive their unlawful presence PRIOR to their departure to their home country for a visa interview. This will cut down the length of time that an applicant for legal permanent resident status is outside of the United States.

Under the current process, people applying for legal permanent resident status who have been living in the U.S. for more than 6 months without legal status must apply for a waiver to waive their "unlawful presensce". At the moment, an application for a waiver can only be submitted after a person has returned to their home country for their visa interview, and completed their interview. At this point, reviewing an application for a waiver can take several months, and force U.S. citizens to be seperated from their family members for long periods of time. Under this new process, an applicant can apply for a waiver PRIOR to departing the U.S. for their visa interview, and if there are no other grounds of inadmissibility, the visa can be approved immediately.

Please keep in mind that this new rule only allows you to apply for a waiver of unlawful presence, and not for any other reasons of inadmissibility. For the other grounds of inadmissibility, you will still have to proceed under the current rule and submit a waiver application AFTER your visa interview. The new rule takes effect March 4, 2013, and is anticipated to remove a roadblock for many immediate family members who are eligible to adjust status.

Here's a summary of the new rule:

SUMMARY: On April 2, 2012, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a proposed rule to amend its regulations to allow certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who are physically present in the United States to request provisional unlawful presence waivers prior to departing from the United States for consular processing of their immigrant visa applications. This final rule implements the provisional unlawful presence waiver process. It also finalizes clarifying amendments to other provisions within our regulations. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) anticipates that these changes will significantly reduce the length of time U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives who engage in consular processing abroad. DHS also believes that this new process will reduce the degree of interchange between the U.S. Department of State (DOS) and USCIS and create greater efficiencies for both the U.S. Government and most provisional unlawful presence waiver applicants.

DHS reminds the public that the filing or approval of a provisional unlawful presence waiver application will not: Confer any legal status, protect against the accrual of additional periods of unlawful presence, authorize an alien to enter the United States without securing a visa or other appropriate entry document, convey any interim benefits (e.g., employment authorization, parole, or advance parole), or protect an alien from being placed in removal proceedings or removed from the United States in accordance with current DHS policies governing initiation of removal proceedings and the use of prosecutorial discretion.

DATES: This final rule is effective March 4, 2013.

For the full text published in today's Federal Register, visit here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-01-03/pdf/2012-31268.pdf

How to get your Immigration History

Prior to filing any types of applications with immigration, it is always wise to know what risks you are putting yourself at. You want to know everything immigration is going to know. This is especially important for anyone with a criminal history or who has had a previous encounter with immigration (at the border for example). While you may not think anything was recorded, it is better to find out before you submit an application to immigration. For example, if you have been deported from the country (but you thought you were just turned away), filing an application with immigration could lead to imprisonment- that's not good. So here's some information on how to find out about your records.

Immigration History

If you encountered immigration during an attempted entry into the U.S., you should submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Customs and Border Patrol. The information that you will need to provide include: Name/Aliases, Date of birth/Dates of birth you may have used, Address, Consent (if a third party is submitting the request), Parental consent (if you are a minor), Sworn declaration under penalty of perjury or notarized affidavit of identity, Death Certificate, news article, or obituary (if you are requesting information in regards to a deceased person), and phone number (Include a daytime phone number at which you can be reached should there be any questions about your CBP FOIA request). This information should be sent to: CBPFOIA@DHS.gov; U.S. Customs and Border Protection, FOIA Division, 799 9th Street NW, Mint Annex, Washington, DC 20229-1181; or faxed to: (202) 325-0230. While Customs and Border Patrol offers an otion to submit FOIAs online, they require original signatures, so you will eventually have to mail them documents. However the benefit to submitting a request online is immediately receiving a case number and knowing that the request was received.

A FOIA request should be completed within one month in theory... but the government has a reputation for being overloaded and behind, so it might be a while.

More information on how to submit a Customs and Border Protection FOIA can be found here:

http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/admin/fl/foia/foia_requests/howtotravel.xml
 

And the type of information you can request through a CBP FOIA, is detailed here: http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/admin/fl/foia/foia_requests/describing_records.xml

So now you're thinking, okay, I know where to go ask for this information, but what if I find out I'm barred from the U.S. and I just sent the government my home address. Are they going to come knock on my door? While there have been rumors that undocumented people have found themselves in removal proceedings following a FOIA request, this is known among immigration attorneys as an urban legend. No immigrtion attorney I have ever consulted with has any first hand knowledge of someone landing in removal proceedings as a result of a FOIA. That bieng said, if you are concerned about this, you can also hire an attorney (like me!) to submit this information on your behalf, and most attorneys will provide their own address in lieu of yours. The cost is minimal, and may provide you with some peace of mind.


Criminal History

In addition to requesting you file from CBP, it is also wise to complete an criminal background check. A criminal background check is a check of FBI records which will show all criminal history that is attached to your fingerprints. This is a good idea for people who may not remember if they were arrested for a certain incident or where, because it includes information from all agencies that are report to the FBI. Usually when you go to your local police department and ask for a background check, the local police can only give you your local record, meaning if you were arrested in another city, they would not have record of that. A LiveScan is a California background check, while a FBI background check should show any time you were fingerprinted in the United States. This should include when you attempted to cross the border and were turned around. It's wise to complete a criminal background check prior to submitting applications to the government, because fingerprinting is almost always required for applications you may submit to Immigration. If the government is going to have the information, you want to have it first!

In order to obtain a background check, you need to 1) complete an application, 2) complete a fingerprint card ($19.95 at all UPS locations), and 3) submit the application, fingerprint card and $18 to the FBI. For the application and details on how to request a background check, visit the FBI's website: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/submitting-an-identification-record-request-to-the-fbi

The combination of the FOIA and the background check should be enough to find out what immigration-related information is on your record. If both your FOIA request and your background check come back clean then you're fine! If not, then you should consult an attorney to weigh the risks of submitting applications given what is on your record.

Updated 12/16/12

Career Day!

Two weeks ago I spent the afternoon speaking with 100 high school freshmen at Lincoln High School about being a lawyer. It was career day and I had three 58 minute class periods to fill  with information about myself and my career. It was a little daunting at first, but the afternoon went by in a flash, with my third and final presentation being the best! Now I'm a pro!

The goal of my presentation was to dispel myths about being an attorney- primarily that we're all robotic suits that make bundles of money and spend all day in court demanding the truth (like this). Instead, I intentionally did not "dress up" and reminded myself to show up wearing flip flops. I was hopeful to instill in the students a more realistic view of the legal profession and to share my perspective about lawyering being more about "counseling" my clients than anything else.

Preparing for career day forced me to reflect on my chosen profession and what it is about being a lawyer that appeals to me. When all is said and done, the bottom line is that I like to help people, and I use law as my vehicle to make small change in people's lives. My clients hire me to help them with a specific legal issue, but I see my role as their attorney reaching beyond just completing the application I was hired to complete. I take seriously the title of "counselor" and do my best to listen to their concerns and connect with them to ensure that I am doing the best I can for each client and addressing their needs. Sometimes this means chatting with a client about what school is like or how their job search is going, and other times it means fielding emails that discuss their love for falafel (all true). Recently a perspective client contacted me, and commented on how she sensed that I genuinely cared about her situation rather than just the income she sensed another attorney was more interested in--this is a reflection of my passion for helping others and I use that passion drive my business.

 

In addition to sharing my story and my views on lawyering, I also gave the students a couple of pros/cons and tips for anyone considering law school. Someone once told me that lawyers love to talk about themselves, a statement I cannot disagree with, so I won't neglect this opportunity to share some nuggets of wisdom. Pros of being a Lawyer: You have the potential to make a huge impact on someone's life. It's a very flexible career as I am now discovering with my own practice. If you like "to be in the know", you're basically paid to know everyone's business. Cons of being a Lawyer: EVERYONE you know will suddenly have a legal problem they expect you can fix. Law school is expensive. Tips: Don't go to law school unless you genuinely want to be a lawyer- it's not worth it just for the degree. Be open minded about where your career may take you- you never know where you will end up!

If you're considering a career as a lawyer, I'd be happy to chat with you!

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals / Acción Diferida para los que llegaron en la Infancia / DACA

DACA Basics

It’s important to understand that Deferred Action does not grant you legal status. Instead this allows you to NOT be deported and receive a work authorization if you can show you have financial need. This is not a pathway to legal status, and if you have another way of attaining status, you should look into that.

You should be aware that there are inherently some risks in applying for DACA. You are essentially letting the government know that you are undocumented and present in the U.S., and they are the ones with the ability to deport you from the country. While the government has assured us they will not use information in these applications to deport you unless there is evidence of fraud, significant criminal history, or a threat to public safety, it is important to acknowledge that there is some level of risk.

Also, DACA is very new. The way law shapes itself and defines the grey areas is through the decisions that are made based on the law. Since this is new and we haven’t seen any decisions yet, we don’t know how the government is going to interpret certain situations. That being said, there is definitely some benefit to waiting before applying, because the longer this program is in place, the more well defined the grey areas become and the less risk there is in applying. However, if you wait to apply, it is very likely that the processing times will be much greater, and we don’t know what will happen to this program if the administration changes with the upcoming election.

To qualify for DACA, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012
2. Came to the U.S. before 16 years old
3. Continuously reside in the U.S. from June 15, 2007 to present
4. Were physically present in the U.S. on June 15, 2012
5. Did not have lawful status on June 15, 2012
6. Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a GED certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the military
7. Have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more misdemeanors and do not pose a threat to national security or public safety.

If you decide to apply, the application involves: four forms- I-821D (DACA), I-765 (Employment Authorization), I-765WS (Financial Necessity), I-1145 (Text/email notification)-optional; Supporting Documents to show you meet the criteria; $465 to the Department of Homeland Security; 2 passport photos. You send all this to the government, and they will send you a biometrics appointment for fingerprinting and a background check. After they receive the results from this, they will consider your application and determine whether to grant or deny it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should I apply?

A: This depends on your own individual situation. Some people’s situations make it more risky for them to apply right now, because we don’t know how the government is going to interpret certain things (i.e. what is a "significant misdemeanor"?). You should consult an attorney to discuss your case and to determine what type of risks you are facing.

Q: Do I need to hire an attorney to help me with this application?

A: An attorney is not necessary to apply, but it is highly recommended. There are risks involved in applying for DACA, especially because it is so new, and an experienced attorney can help you navigate those risks and increase your likelihood of success. I have experience with removal proceedings, and can help you minimize your risks of ending up in removal proceedings.

Q: Will getting deferred action allow me to get a driver’s license?

A: Yes. In California, you can apply for a Driver’s license with an employment authorization card.

Q: Will my immigration history be considered for Deferred Action?

A: Yes! Your immigration history will be considered ANY time you apply to change your immigration status. If you have had prior contacts with immigraion (i.e. ordered removed, voluntary departure, turned away at the border) you may currently have a "bar" from being in the U.S. and filing an application will alert the government of your presence. If you have had previous contacts with immigration, it’s advisable that you speak to an attorney before proceeding, and/or request a FOIA and FBI background check.

Q: Do I qualify if I have a certificate of completion from high school but did not graduate due to CAHSEE?

A: Yes. The requirements of DACA are that you have graduated from high school, have a certificate of completion, a GED, or are in the process of attaining any one of these.

Q: Can I end up in removal proceedings if my application is denied?

A: There is the possibility of being referred to removal proceedings, however the government has said that this will only happen in the rare circumstances that there is: 1) fraud, 2) a substantial criminal history, or 3) threat to public safety. However, if you do not fit into one of these categories, the government has said that they will keep the information separate. The government has also indicated that they may share information included in your application with other organizations NOT for the purposes of removal, to verify information, investigate a crime.

Q: What does continuous presence mean?

A: If you left prior to August 15, 2012, this may or may not interfere with your “continuous” presence. If your departure was “brief”, “casual”, or “innocent” then it will not affect continuous presence. If your departure was “for an extended time”, “because of an order of exclusion, deportation, or removal”, or “to participate in criminal activity”, then it will interrupt your continuous residence. Do not leave the country before you receive approval and have an approved application for advanced parole, otherwise you will be compromising your “continuous presence”.

Q: What is a significant misdemeanor?

A: Any crime with a maximum jail time is one year or less, but more than five days AND

1.       involves: domestic violence, sexual abuse or exploitation, burglary, unlawful possession or use of a firearm, drug distribution or trafficking or DUI, or

2.       If not listed above, then the person was sentenced to more than 90 days.

Q: Is driving without a license a significant misdemeanor?

A: No, the government has specifically said that driving without a license will not be considered. However, the government has said that they will look at your entire history to determine whether you should be granted DACA. This implies that if you have several offenses, even if they are minor traffic violations, they can be considered. So take a look at why you were pulled over and discovered to be driving without a license.

Q: If I have been using a fake Social Security Number, can I apply?

A: Yes. The government is not naïve, and they know that there are a large number of undocumented people in the U.S. and probably the majority of them are using fake social security numbers. While, this could be seen as identity theft and therefore referred to a local law enforcement agency to be investigated, there are ways to craft an application to minimize your risk of this. Contact an attorney to discuss further.

Updated 12/16/12

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lo Básico

Es importante entender que Acción Diferida no le concede estatus legal. Por otro lado, le permite NO ser deportado y le concede autorización de trabajo si usted puede probar que tiene necesidad financiera. Este no es un camino al estatus legal, si usted tiene otra forma de obtener estatus, debería investigar más sobre eso.

Usted tiene que estar conciente que hay algunos riesgos al solicitar Acción Diferida . Usted básicamente le estaría informando al gobierno que esta presente en los Estados Unidos como indocumentado (a)  y ellos son los que tienen la habilidad de deportarlo (a) del país. Mientras el gobierno ha asegurado que no usará la información en estas solicitudes para deportarlo al menos que haya evidencia significativa de fraude, historial criminal significativo, o usted sea una amenaza a la seguridad publica, es importante saber que existe cierto nivel de riesgo.

Además, Acción diferida es una solicitud nueva. La manera en que la ley se desarrolla así misma y define las áreas grises es basado en las decisiones que son hechas basadas en la ley. Como este programa es nuevo y no hemos escuchado de ninguna decisión , no sabemos como el gobierno interpretará ciertas situaciones. Siendo esto dicho, definitivamente hay algún tipo de beneficio en esperarse antes de hacer la solicitud, porque mientras este programa este más tiempo en efecto, lo mejor y mas definidas estarán esas áreas grises y el menor riesgo que habrá en hacer la solicitud. Sin embargo, si usted se decide a esperar para  mandar la solicitud,  es muy probable que el tiempo de procesamiento será mas largo, y no sabemos que le pasará a este programa si la administración cambia con las próximas elecciones presidenciales.

Para ser considerado para Acción Diferida tiene que cumplir los siguientes requisitos:

1. Era menor de los 31 años de edad el día 15 de Junio del 2015.
2. Llego a los Estados Unidos antes de los 16 años de edad 
3. Ha residido continuamente en los Estados Unidos desde El 15 de Junio del 2007 hasta el presente.
4. Estuvo presente físicamente en los Estados Unidos el 15 de Junio del 2012.
5. No tenía ningún tipo de estatus legal el 15 de Junio del 2012.
6. Esta actualmente matriculado en la escuela, se ha graduado u obtenido un certificado  u obtuvo un certificado de GED o si es un veterano que fue dado de alta honorablemente de las fuerzas armadas.
7. No ha sido acusado de una felonía, un delito menor significante, de tres o mas delitos menores, y no es una amenaza para la seguridad nacional o la seguridad publica.

Si decide llenar la solicitud y mandarla debe sabes que esta formada por: Cuatro formas- I-821D (DACA), I-765 (Autorización de empleo), I-765WS (Necesidad financiera), I-1145 (Notificación por Texto/correo electrónico)-opcional; Documentos de apoyo que demuestren que usted llena los requisitos; una cuota de $465 que se le tiene que pagar al departamento de la seguridad nacional; dos fotos para pasaporte. Una vez que usted mande todo esto al gobierno, ellos me mandarán una cita para que le usted valla a tomarse las huellas y un chequeo de su expediente.  Después de recibir estos resultados, ellos considerarán su solicitud y determinarán si lo aprueban o lo niegan.

Preguntas frecuentes

P: Debo solicitar Acción Diferida?

R: Esto depende en tu situación individual. La situación de algunas personas hacen mas riesgoso que soliciten en este momento porque no sabemos como es que el gobierno juzgará ciertas situaciones. Tiene que consultar a un abogado y discutir su caso para determinar que tipo de riesgos enfrentará.

P: Debo contratar un abogado para que me ayude con la solicitud?

R: Un abogado no es necesario para hacer la solicitud, pero es altamente recomendable. Existen riesgos relacionados con la solicitud de Acción Diferida, especialmente porque esta es nueva, y un abogado con experiencia podría ayudarle a navegar contra esos riesgos para incrementar la posibilidad del éxito. Nuestra oficina esta altamente capacitada con experiencia en procedimientos contra la deportación, y podemos ayudarle a minimizar los riesgos de que usted sea mandado a este procedimiento.

P: El obtener Acción Diferida me permitirá obtener una licencia de manejar?

R: Si. En California, usted puede solicitar la licencia de manejar y una tarjeta de Trabajo.

P: Mi historial migratorio será considerado cuando solicite Acción Diferida?

R:  Esto aun no es conocido. El gobierno no ha mencionado si el historial migratorio es algo que será considerado, pero es difícil de imaginar que ellos no tomen esto en consideración. Si usted tiene un historial con inmigración, se le recomienda que hable con un abogado antes de proceder.

P: Soy elegible si solo tengo un certificado que documenta que termine la escuela secundaria aunque no me haya graduado por el examen estatal llamado por sus siglas en inglés CAHSEE?

R: Si. Los requisitos para Acción Diferida son que se haya graduado de la escuela secundaria con un certificado, un GED o esta en el proceso de obtener uno de estos. 

P: Podría terminar en riesgo de deportación si mi solicitud es negada?

R: Existe una posibilidad que lo refieran a procedimientos de despulsamiento, sin embargo el gobierno ha expresado que eso solo pasará en circunstancias raras como son:  1) fraude, 2) Historial Criminal Substancial. 3) Es una amenaza para la seguridad publica. De esta manera, si usted no llena ninguna de estas descripciones, el gobierno ha dicho que mantendrá esta información separada. El gobierno también ha indicado que podría compartir la información incluida en su solicitud con otras organizaciones, pero NO para propósitos de deportación sino para verificar información o identificar un crimen.

P: Que significa presencia continua?

R: Si usted salió del país antes del 15 de Agosto del 2012. Esto podría  o no interferir con su presencia “continua” Si su salida fue “breve”, “casual” o “inocente” entones no interferirá con su presencia continua. Si su salida fue por un tiempo “extendido” “por una orden de exclusión, deportación, o removido o “para participar en actividad criminal, entonces esto interrumpiría si residencia continua. No salga del país antes de que reciba aprobación  o ha sido aprobada su solicitud para libertad avanzada, de otra manera usted estaría comprometiendo su “presencia continua” .

P: Que significa un delito menor?

A: Cualquier crimen con un tiempo máximo de un año en la cárcel o menos, pero mas de cinco días 

1.       Implica: violencia domestica, abuso sexual o explotación,  asalto, posesión ilegal de un arma o uso de un arma de fuego. Distribución de drogas, trafico o un delito por manejar intoxicado o

2.       Si no esta en la lista de arriba, entonces la persona fue sentenciada por mas de 90 días.

P: Manejar sin licencia de manejo es un delito significativo menor?

R: No. Sin embargo, el gobierno ha dicho que tomará en cuenta el historial completo para determinar si la persona debe ser otorgada la Acción Diferida. Esto implica que si tiene varias ofensas, aunque sean ofensas menores de trafico, pueden ser consideradas.

P: Si he usado seguro social falso, puedo solicitar?

R: No estamos completamente seguros. El gobierno no es ingenuo y saben que hay un gran numero de gente indocumentada en el país y probablemente la mayoría de ellos están usando o hán usado un seguro social falso. Sin embargo, esto podría ser visto como robo de identidad y referido a la agencia que refuerza las leyes. Yo creo que este es uno de los riesgos actuales al solicitar. No sabemos si el gobierno percibirá esto, pero si usted esta en esta situación, debería hablar con un abogado de inmigración para discutir las implicaciones de las solicitud.