The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, states that the undocumented immigrants will be permitted to apply for Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status and that they will be given one year from the date of implementing border security measures to apply for this legal status. Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status will permit the immigrants to work in America and to travel abroad and return to the country. This status will be valid for 6 years and it is renewable and after the expiration of the ssix-year period they can renew that status and stay back in America for six more years. Likewise, they can apply for lawful permanent resident status after living in the country on RPI status for ten years. To apply for permanent resident status, immigrants in RPI status will have to establish that they meet all the requirements for lawful status in America and that they are good in English and know well about the country’s history and laws.
Who Can Apply for RPI Status?
Undocumented immigrants must meet certain eligibility requirements to apply for RPI status and they must have entered into America prior to December 31, 2011. Foreign nationals who were living in the United States as undocumented immgrants before the cut off date, 31st December, 2011 and who were removed from the country also can apply for RPI status and get back to the United States, if they are immediate relatives of US citizens or Green Card holders. However, they cannot apply for this status, if they were deported for criminal reasons.
Likewise, undocumented immigrants in America must remember that this status may not be granted to everyone and people who were convicted of crimes and people who have voted illegally, cannot apply for RPI status. At the time of applying for RPI status, immigrants must pay a $500 penalty and they must also pay the required application processing and filing fee. They also need to pay $500 at the time of applying for renewal.
However, if they maintain their status in the country and if they seek to become lawful residents, they can file applications for permanent resident status, after ten years. While applying for permanent residency, they must prove that they meet the continuous residence requirement and that they have paid their taxes. They must establish that they are proficient in English and have knowledge of the country’s laws and history. Apart from that, they need to pay a $1000 fee.
RPI status for DREAMers
Though the DREAMers are also undocumented immigrants, they may be exempt from few requirements and they need not pay the $500 penalty. Likewise, DREAMers who were in the country prior to December 31, 2011, and who were removed from the country for non-criminal reasons, can also apply for RPI status, even if they do not have immediate relatives in America. Moreover, DREAMers who meet the eligibility requirements for lawful status, can apply for permanent resident status within five years and they need not wait for ten long years to apply for lawful permanent resident status in America.
