President Obama recently signed several executive orders to help immigrants living in the United States. One of the major changes applies to parents of U.S. Citizens or lawful permanent residents. People living in the United States without legal status who qualify for the program should use an experienced attorney to review their case and represent them in the filing process. Anthony Drago, Jr., Esq. has over 27 years legal experience and can assist you with the application process. Here’s some basic information on the new DAPA program.
What is the new DAPA program?
The Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) is a prosecutorial discretion program administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that provides temporary relief from deportation (called deferred action) and work authorization to unauthorized parents of U.S. Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). The DAPA program is similar to the President’s program for childhood arrivals, called DACA, but the eligibility criteria are distinct.
The program is open to individuals who:
- have a U.S. citizen or LPR son or daughter as of November 20, 2014;
- have continuously resided in the United States since before January 1, 2010;
- are physically present in the United States on November 20, 2014, and at the time of applying;
- have no lawful immigration status on November 20, 2014;
- are not an enforcement priority, which is defined to include individuals with a wide range of criminal convictions (including certain misdemeanors), those suspected of gang involvement and terrorism, recent unlawful entrants, and certain other immigration law violators
- present no other factors that would render a grant of deferred action inappropriate; and
- pass a background check.
- DAPA grants will be valid for three (3) years. The DAPA program should be ready to receive applications in April or May, 2015.