This past summer, President Obama initiated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a policy which will allow qualified undocumented immigrants to apply to remain in the US and to get work authorization for up to two years. The policy is aimed at those undocumented immigrants who were brought into the US as young children and now face a future with no status. According to immigration advocacy groups, many undocumented immigrants have been waiting to apply for DACA and now the Department of Homeland Security has announced that applications for DACA will begin on August 15, which is the implementation date for the deferred action for childhood arrivals policy.
USCIS has also announced that forms and instructions for applying for deferred action for childhood arrivals will be available as of August 15. Once the forms are available, there will be more information about the policy. In the meantime, authorities have made a number of details about deferred action for childhood arrivals available. Among them is the fact that qualified individuals who have final orders for removal proceedings, those who are in removal proceedings and those who have never been faced with deportation will all qualify for deferred action for childhood arrivals if they meet the other criteria. According to the USCIS, applications for deferred action for childhood arrivals will be mailed with an application fee and a request for employment authorization to a USCIS lockbox for processing. The USCIS has also revealed that those who apply for deferred action for childhood arrivals will need to apply for background checks and biometrics.
It is important to note that no applications for deferred action for childhood arrivals will be accepted before August 15, 2012. Any applications sent before this time will be rejected. In some cases, people may offer advance application forms and assistance in exchange for cash. The USCIS is warning applicants that no one has the authority to offer early admission for deferred action for childhood arrivals or can guarantee acceptance. These cash for help offers are scams and should be reported.
