DACA anniversary brings first wave of renewals

March 29, 2014 (Press-News.org) DACA anniversary brings first wave of renewals

Article provided by Oester - Riccobono
Visit us at http://www.oesterriccobono.com

More than half a million young people have been granted temporary deportation protection under a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which went into effect in 2012. As the two-year mark draws closer for many early DACA applicants, it is time to begin the process of renewing their deferrals.

DACA is targeted at young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. The program does not provide a path to U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status, but it does allow eligible applicants to defer deportation for two years at a time while also enabling them to work legally in the United States.

The deportation deferrals provided through DACA expire after two years, but they can be renewed indefinitely for those who reapply and continue to meet all eligibility requirements. As the first round of DACA applicants approaches the two-year mark, many will soon be facing the task of renewing their applications.

150,000 eligibile California youth have not yet applied for DACA

According to estimates cited in a recent report from the University of California Berkeley, there are approximately 300,000 DACA-eligible individuals living in California. However, only about half have applied for deportation deferrals through DACA. This means that there are still approximately 150,000 young people living in the state who are eligible for Deferred Action but have not yet applied.

According to an article published by Colorlines.com, about 80 percent of those who apply for Deferred Action are approved. A report from the Immigration Policy Center shows that DACA has already led to significant economic and social improvements in lives of many of those who have been granted deferrals. For example, the report shows that 61 percent of DACA recipients have started a new job and 54 percent have opened a bank account for the first time since receiving their deferrals.

Applying for DACA

To be eligible for DACA, applicants must meet a number of requirements. As a baseline matter, the law provides that DACA participants must have:
-Entered the United States before the age of 16.
-Been under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012.
-Lived continuously in the U.S. since June 15, 2007.

Eligible applicants must also meet a number of other requirements, including educational or military service criteria and the absence of certain criminal convictions.

Contact a lawyer for DACA application assistance

If you have questions about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or need help with any other immigration-related matter, be sure to discuss your situation with an experienced immigration lawyer.