KAPAG ang petitioner ng approved I-130 Petition ay namatay bago makuha ng principal beneficiary ang kanyang immigrant visa o green card, ang I-130 Petition ay automatically revoked. May mga sitwasyon na maaaring humingi ang principal beneficiary ng humanitarian reinstatement sa USCIS. Ang humanitarian reinstatement relief ay hindi maibibigay kung ang petitioner ay namatay bago maaprubahan ang I-130 Petition.
Kailangang aprubado na ang I-130 Petition para sa humanitarian reinstatement request.
Discretionary sa USCIS kung ang hiling ng principal beneficiary ay aaprubahan. Walang USCIS form o filing fee para sa humanitarian reinstatement request. Kailangang ipakita ng principal beneficiary na ang mga positibong kadahilanan para sa kanya ay mas mabigat sa mga negatibong kadahilanan upang ang kanyang humanitarian reinstatement request ay maaprubahan.
Kailangang isama sa humanitarian reinstatement request ang kopya ng I-130 Approval Notice, Death Certificate ng petitioner, at Affidavit of Support ng substitute sponsor. Ang substitute sponsor ay kailangang: (1) US citizen (USC) o lawful permanent resident (LPR); (2) may 18 taon gulang; at (3) siya ay asawa, magulang, biyenan, kapatid, anak, manugang, hipag, bayaw, lolo, lola, apo, o legal guardian ng principal beneficiary. Ang substitute sponsor ay kailangang may sapat na kita at pag-aaari para suportahan ang principal beneficiary at ang kanyang mga kasama sa bahay. Kailangang ipakita na hindi magiging public charge ang principal beneficiary.
Dahil isa sa mga adhikain ng mga US Immigration Law ay pagsama-sama ng pamilya, ang mga sumusunod ay maaaring ipakita para sa humanitarian reinstatement request: (1) hardship o paghihirap sa pamilyang USC at LPR na nakatira sa US; (2) matandang edad at mga alalahanin sa kalusugan ng principal beneficiary; (3) ang matagal na pagtirang legal ng principal beneficiary sa US; (4) ang kawalan o kakulangan ng family ties ng principal beneficiary sa kanyang lupang sinilangan; (5) katagalan at kabagalan ng pagproseso ng petition; at (6) iba pang positibong mga kadahilanan para suportahan ang humanitarian reinstatement request. Mainam rin na nagbigay ng mga supporting documentation para sa humanitarian reinstatement request dahil walang appeal sa denial nito.
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When the petitioner of an approved I-130 Petition dies before the principal beneficiary obtains an immigrant visa or gets his green card, the I-130 Petition is automatically revoked. In some cases, humanitarian reinstatement to the USCIS may be requested by the principal beneficiary of an approved I-130 Petition. Humanitarian reinstatement may be requested only if the I-130 Petition has been approved prior to the death of the petitioner. Humanitarian reinstatement cannot be granted if the petitioner died while the I-130 Petition was pending. A written request has to be filed with the USCIS, which has discretion to determine whether to reinstate the approval of the I-130 Petition for humanitarian reasons. There is no form or fee for filing the humanitarian reinstatement request. When the positive factors outweigh the negative factors, the request may be approved by the USCIS.
A request for humanitarian reinstatement must include a copy of the Approval Notice of the revoked I-130 Petition, the Death Certificate of the Petitioner, and an Affidavit of Support by a substitute sponsor. The substitute sponsor must be: (1) a US citizen (USC) or lawful permanent resident (LPR); (2) at least 18 years old; and (3) is the spouse, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sibling, child, son, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, or legal guardian of the principal beneficiary. The substitute sponsor must have sufficient income and assets to support the principal beneficiary and his own household, in order to show that the principal beneficiary will not become a public charge.
Since one of the goals of US Immigration Laws is family unification, the following factors may be considered to show that a favorable exercise of discretion is warranted: (1) hardships to family members who are US citizens and permanent residents living in the US; (2) advanced age or health concerns of the principal beneficiary; (3) lawful residence of the principal beneficiary in the US for a lengthy period; (4) lack of ties of the principal beneficiary to his home country; (5) undue delays in processing the petition; and (6) other positive factors that support a reinstatement of the petition. Supporting documentation has to be submitted with the humanitarian reinstatement request as a denial of a humanitarian reinstatement request cannot be appealed.
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ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is the principal of SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C. She has been a member of the State Bar of California for over 15 years and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for over 20 years. Atty. Samson received her Legal Management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She was a Professor for over 10 years, teaching Obligations and Contracts, Labor Laws and Social Legislation and Taxation Law. Atty Samson is the author of The Law on Obligations and Contracts (2016), Working with Labor Laws-Revised Edition (2014) and Working with Labor Laws (2005).
SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C., 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Phone: (213) 274-4561; Email: [email protected].