IMMIGRATION NEWS BRIEFS
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Begins
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) will allow perhaps two million immigrants, brought to the United States illegally as children, to stay in the country, at least for two years.
This new category of consideration is a discretionary determination made by USCIS representatives to defer removal actions of certain people. USCIS is considering DACA requests on an individual basis. The process does not provide lawful status or a path to permanent residency, but people whose cases are deferred will not be removed from the United States for a two-year period. This period is subject to renewal; those who receive DACA may also be able to receive employment authorization and may, upon approval, apply for travel permission. USCIS anticipates that they will issue Requests for Evidence in many cases, to clarify eligibility, and may conduct interviews in certain circumstances. Current estimates of processing times range from four to six months for approval of Deferred Action.
“The release of the new form and instructions to allow individuals to request consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals from USCIS marks an important step in our implementation of this new process,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. “While requests should not be submitted until Aug. 15, it is important that individuals wishing to be considered for deferred action understand the requirements necessary to demonstrate eligibility to be considered.”
Individuals interested in being considered for this process will need to establish certain eligibility requirements, including proof that:
• You came to the U.S. prior to your 16th birthday.
• You have maintained continuous residency in the U.S. since June 15, 2007.
• On June 15, 2012, you were under the age of 31.
• You entered the U.S. without inspection before June 15, 2012, or your lawful immigrant status expired as of that date.
• You are either in school, have graduated or obtained a general educational development certification, or you are an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard or Armed Forces.
• You have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more misdemeanors, and are not otherwise a threat.
• You were present in the U.S. on June 15, 2012 and at the time when you make your request for DACA consideration.
DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY PROGRAM UPDATE
DV 2014 Program: Online registration for the DV-2014 Program will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012, at noon, Eastern Daylight Time, and conclude on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, at noon, Eastern Daylight Time. Instructions for the DV 2014 Program are not yet available, so please check back later for more updates in Khabar.
Entrants in the Diversity Visa 2013 program may check the status of their entries through Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website until Sept. 30, 2013. Please remember to keep your confirmation, since more DV 2013 entrants may be selected on Oct. 1, 2012.
VISA PREFERENCE NUMBERS FOR SEPTEMBER 2012
|
FAMILY |
India |
Pakistan/Bangladesh |
|
1st |
01Oct05 |
01Oct05 |
|
2A |
08May10 |
08May10 |
|
2B |
15Sep04 |
15Sep04 |
|
3rd |
15May02 |
15May02 |
|
4th |
15Feb01 |
15Feb01 |
|
EMPLOYMENT |
India |
Pakistan/Bangladesh |
|
1st |
Current |
Current |
|
2nd |
Unavailable |
01Jan09 |
|
3rd |
08Oct02 |
01Oct06 |
|
Other |
08Oct02 |
01Oct06 |
|
4th |
Current |
Current |
|
5th |
Current |
Current1B |
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