23-24 April 2005
I am happy to be able to work on something as varied as the Internet. It gives me so many opportunities to learn more things about the law than I would have imagined when I first entered the profession in law school more than 20 years ago. I want to share some things that I have learned just recently concerning the field of U.S. immigration law that I am still developing skill in. In particular, section 245i of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows a large number of people the ability to apply for and obtain legal status in the USA who may have come here illegally, that is without coming through a regular port of entry via the legal immigration process. The law was passed originally in 1994, and has helped many people come into the light of legal status whose only crime was to have come to the USA to jobs noone else would do.
Here it is, the law allows people who may have come illegally, but who had a parent or close family member, or an employer, sponsor them on a legal application for permanent residency or another visa, to come and file an "adjustment of status" petition to the government to gain permission to live in the USA based upon another visa petition. A fine of $1,000 has to be paid, but the opportunity to become a legal resident is available. The time cutoff is that the person filing the original application for the now-illegal must have done so by April 30, 2001, and the individual now seeking the legal resident status adjustment must have been in the States by December 21, 2000.
Seems confusing? Yeah, and that's why so many illegal immigrants keep hiding, because the confusion in the law, which was supposed to help people along. And they are afraid to show their faces to CIS for fear of deportation anyway. But a proper understanding of the law may reveal that living illegal may not be one's only option. Other immigration lawyers I've read have said the same thing. For more on the story, click here for this article. The Immigration Service just put out a statement last month to clarify common questions about section 245i, you can read it here. And if you want to know more of how you, or a loved one trying to come here in the USA, can get help with their problems, just e-mail me at the following e-mail address: FJ.Fernandez@gmail.com .
Well, I'll be back on intellectual property tomorrow. I'll see you guys, bye for now, God bless..
Here it is, the law allows people who may have come illegally, but who had a parent or close family member, or an employer, sponsor them on a legal application for permanent residency or another visa, to come and file an "adjustment of status" petition to the government to gain permission to live in the USA based upon another visa petition. A fine of $1,000 has to be paid, but the opportunity to become a legal resident is available. The time cutoff is that the person filing the original application for the now-illegal must have done so by April 30, 2001, and the individual now seeking the legal resident status adjustment must have been in the States by December 21, 2000.
Seems confusing? Yeah, and that's why so many illegal immigrants keep hiding, because the confusion in the law, which was supposed to help people along. And they are afraid to show their faces to CIS for fear of deportation anyway. But a proper understanding of the law may reveal that living illegal may not be one's only option. Other immigration lawyers I've read have said the same thing. For more on the story, click here for this article. The Immigration Service just put out a statement last month to clarify common questions about section 245i, you can read it here. And if you want to know more of how you, or a loved one trying to come here in the USA, can get help with their problems, just e-mail me at the following e-mail address: FJ.Fernandez@gmail.com .
Well, I'll be back on intellectual property tomorrow. I'll see you guys, bye for now, God bless..
