THREE years ago President Obama made an important announcement and made clear his intent to help “Dreamers”; young people who were brought to the U.S. unlawfully by their parents. He announced his plan for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”), an executive measure that allowed him to provide certain benefits to these young people due to Congress’ refusal to take action on immigration reform.
After his announcement the program was implemented on August 15, 2012 and immediately Dreamers began filing their applications. DACA allows people who meet the requirement to obtain a work permit that is valid for two years and renewable. This allows them to obtain a social security number, driver’s license, and other benefits related to work and school.
We want to make it VERY clear that the original DACA program continues to be a completely valid program and in no way has it been effected by the recent federal court decisions surrounding the DAPA program for parents of U.S. citizen or permanent resident children. Everyone who qualifies can continue to file first-time applications or renew their work permit.
At the time when DACA first came out, many people were worried that it was some sort of trap to deport people or that it was a way to simply take their money, etc. Simply put, all of those concerns are completely false. DACA has been an incredible success and thousands of people’s lives have changed immeasurably and they are now able to work and obtain a college education without any consequences.
To date we have helped hundreds of people receive their work permits and to see their lives change is incredible. People who were unable to go to college and struggled to find work are now working successful jobs, receiving college degrees, and able to support themselves and their families better than ever. In some cases, they are able to travel outside of the country and visit family, or attend to matters of work and school outside of the U.S. (Please remember that DACA alone does not allow travel and you absolutely should consult with a qualified immigration attorney to see if you may be eligible to obtain a travel permit through DACA).
If you have not yet applied for DACA and believe that you or a family member may be eligible, now is the time to take action and take the necessary steps to change your life. In order to qualify for DACA you meet the following criteria: 1) Have entered the U.S. prior to June 15, 2007; 2) When you entered the U.S. you were 15 years of age or younger (if you were already 16 you do not qualify); 3) remained in the U.S. continuously since that time (short absences may be excused in some cases); 4) are currently in school, or graduated from High School or a GED program; 5) Have not been convicted of 3 or more misdemeanors or a single significant misdemeanor such as DUI or domestic violence (traffic offenses do not count); 6) You were not yet 31 years of age on June 15, 2012 (if you turned 31 after that date you qualify). Additionally, you must be 15 years old or older to apply for DACA. At Wilner & O’Reilly we have helped hundreds of people receive these benefits and we can help you as well with any immigration issue you maybe have. If you think you might qualify DACA or any other immigration benefit, contact us immediately at 714.919.8880 and receive a free consultation.
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Kelly S. O’Reilly is a nationally known immigration expert and former immigration officer. He is a highly sought after speaker on immigration and employment compliance issues. Mr. O’Reilly serves as the current chair of the Riverside County Bar Association Immigration section and is a partner in the full-service immigration firm of the Wilner & O’Reilly where he provides free consultations. Mr. O’Reilly can be contacted at (714) 919-8880 and he welcomes email inquiries at [email protected].
