Written in TRENDS he
Due to numerous situations of vulnerability, there are thousands of undocumented in USA fighting to have a better quality of life. In general, these people not only go through difficulties of discrimination and stigma in their daily routine, but it is also more difficult for them to regularize their immigration status. However, there is a law that, although little known, protects the interests of undocumented people; even giving them the possibility of accessing the permanent residence legally.
What is the LIFE Law and how does it benefit undocumented immigrants and their families?
According to the Citizenship and Immigration Services of USA (USCIS, for its acronym in English,) Legal Immigrant Families Fairness (LIFE) Act It is designed to allow migrants who arrived in the United States before 2001 to have the possibility of obtaining a Green Card today. Thus, regardless of their age at the time of their arrival, it is possible that they apply to the permanent residence.
Requirements to apply for permanent residence through the LIFE law
As can be seen from the above, the LIFE law has been in effect for many years; However, the migration experts They ensure that the undocumented They do not take advantage of it due to misinformation and/or fear of being deported. Of course, there is a fundamental requirement to be able to obtain the permanent residence in this way: having demonstrated prior interest in regularizing the immigration situation in USA. So, for a person to be considered eligible under this category, they must have submitted one of the following documents to the USCIS before April 30, 2001 (it also applies to interested parties who were minors at the time, but whose parents They tried to regularize 🙂
- Certification of employment status (ETA Form 750)
- Immigrant Visa Petition (Form I-130)
- Immigrant Petition for Foreign Worker (Form I-140)
- Supplement A of Form I-485 to apply for status under section 245(i)
- Meet additional requirements (such as demonstrating physical presence in the United States since December 21, 2000)
It is worth mentioning that the process to apply for the LIFE law can be complex and difficult for those who do not speak English. For this reason, experts recommend seeking advice, either within or outside USCIS. It is also important to highlight that you must comply with the ‘traditional’ requirements of the permanent residence under this category: do the corresponding medical tests, not having committed serious crimes in USAetc.