Free sessions in Fresno, Bakersfield, Salinas & Phoenix
UFW Foundation helping Dreamers renew two-year work permits as Department of Homeland Security announces DACA renewal process
The Department of Homeland Security announced today that Dreamers—undocumented young people brought to this country as children—who were granted work permits to legally stay in the United States must apply for renewal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) four months (120 days) prior to the expiration of their permits. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting DACA renewal requests effective immediately. The UFW Foundation is organizing free information sessions so Dreamers can find out how to renew, or how to apply for the first time, beginning as early as Thursday in Fresno, Bakersfield, Salinas and Phoenix. In addition, UFW Foundation-organized group application processing workshops will help the young people prepare their applications. Applicants can also schedule individual appointments at one of the organization’s four offices. The UFW Foundation is recognized by the federal Board of Immigrations Appeals to provide low-cost immigration legal services.
The USCIS is releasing the new application and renewal process for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the program launched through executive order signed by President Obama in 2012 that let Dreamers stay in the United States and apply for work authorization for two years, with the possibility of renewal.
DACA provides approved applicants with a two-year work authorization permit. To qualify, applicants must be at least 15 years of age and be born after June 16, 1981. They must have entered the U.S. before June 15, 2007, have resided in this country since then and have entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday. They must have been physically present in the country on June 15, 2012, and be currently attending or have graduated from high school or be in the process of obtaining or have already obtained a GED degree or have been honorably discharged from the U.S. military.
Individuals may request DACA renewal if they continue to meet the initial criteria described above and the following guidelines: 1) did not depart the United States on or after Aug. 15, 2012, without advance parole; 2) have continuously resided in the United States since they submitted their most recent DACA request that was approved; and 3) have not been convicted of a felony, a significant misdemeanor or three or more misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.
“Those who do not renew their DACA in a timely fashion risk losing their work authorization and may accrue unlawful presence after their work permit expires, which may negatively impact their future chances of gaining permanent legal status in the future,” explains Diana Tellefson Torres, UFW Foundation executive director. The UFW Foundation has helped hundreds of young men and women in California and Arizona with their applications for the DACA program. DACA work permits open doors for them to access jobs, drivers’ licenses (in California) and obtain scholarships to continue their educations.
UFW Foundation urges those seeking legal advice on any immigration matter to only consult organizations or professionals formally recognized by the Board of Immigrations Appeals such as the UFW Foundation or immigration attorneys. Notary Publics cannot by law represent clients in immigration cases and it is illegal for them to offer any advice on immigration.
More about the new information sessions and group workshops being offered by the UFW Foundation can be obtained by calling one of the four offices below.
Free Information Sessions:
Bakersfield, CA
Thursday, June 5, 2014 at 7 p.m.
220 18th Street
Phone: 661-324-2500
Salinas, CA
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 10 a.m.
427 Pajaro St., Suite 3
Phone: 831-758-2611
Fresno, CA
Thursday, June 5, 2014 at 4 p.m.
2409 Merced St. Suite 103
Phone: 559-496-0700
Phoenix, AZ
Saturday, June 14 at 10 a.m.
1440 E. Washington St., Suite 210
Phone: 602-889-0933 ###