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Hi everyone, Here are some of the questions asked to USCIS during yesterday's conference (Wednesday Dec.5) and the answers given by USCIS. The conference was in Spanish so i'll do my best to translate it and if you participated in the conference feel free to add whatever I didn't include here because I only took notes on some of the DACA questions asked. The subject of Deferred Actions was hardly mentioned during the conference, most of the questions asked were questions dealing with Forms I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) and I-601 (Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hola a todos, Estas son unas de las preguntas hechas a USCIS durante la conferencia de ayer (Miercoles Diciembre 5) y las respuestas dadas por USCIS. Si alguno de ustedes participo, porfavor sientanse en libertad de agregar alguna otra cosa que no agrege aqui porque solo tome nota de algunas de las preguntas hechas acerca de la Accion Diferida. El tema de la Accion Diferida casi no fue mencionado durante la conferencia, la mayoria de las preguntas formuladas fueron acerca de la forma I-130 (Peticion para pariente extranjero) y la forma I-601(Solicitud de exencion de causal de inadmisibilidad ) * USCIS has received about 300,000 applications for Deferred Action * 200,000 applicants have received their Biometrics appointments. * 50,000 applicants have been approved. * USCIS ah recibido alrededor de 300,000 applicaciones de Accion Diferida. * 200,000 aplicantes an recibido su cita para las hueyas. * 50,000 aplicantes han sido aprobados. Q. Will I be able to travel to Hawaii with Deferred Action? -Alaska and Hawaii are considered part of the United States. If you are planning to travel out of the United States you must apply for Advanced Parole and file a I-131 Form and pay the indicated fee. Form I-131 ( Advanced Parole) : Wait until you receive your approval. The applicant must submit a letter explaining USCIS the reason why he/she must travel outside the US. Q. Podre viajar a Hawaii con la Accion Diferida? -Alaska y Hawaii se consideran parte de los Estados Unidos. Si usted esta planeando viajar fuera de los Estados Unidos usted tiene que aplicar por un Permiso Adelantado y presentar el formulario I - 131 y pagar la cuota indicada. Forma I-131 ( Permiso Adelantado) : Espere hasta que sea aprovado. El aplicante debe presentar una carta explicando a USCIS la razon por la cual el o ella debe viajar fuera de los Estados Unidos. Q. I sent my application for Deferred Action two months ago and I'm still waiting, but others have been approved already, should I worry? - No, you shouldn't worry. The process can take from 4 to 6 months. There are many people applying for Deferred Action, but if you feel you have any concerns regarding your application you can call USCIS or go to your local USCIS office and ask an officer. Q. Yo mande mi aplicacion para Accion Diferida hace dos meses y sigo esperando, pero otros ya han sido aprobados, deberia preocuparme? - No, no deberias preocuparte. El proceso puede tardar de 4 a 6 meses. Hay muchas personas aplicando para Accion Diferida, pero si usted siente o tiene alguna preocupacion con respecto a su aplicacion usted puede llamar a USCIS o ir a una oficina local de USCIS y preguntarle a un oficial. Q. Can I still apply for Deferred Action even if I already have a removal or deportation order? - Yes, you can still apply for Deferred Action. Q. Puedo aplicar a la Accion Diferida aunque ya tenga una order de deportacion? - Si, usted puede aplicar a Accion Diferida aunque usted ya tenga una orden de deportacion. Q. Is it better to apply for Deferred Action or have my husband petition for me? Can my husband still petition for me if I apply for Deferred Action? - Deferred Action does not grant residency. Deferred Action only allows you to apply for an employment authorization, but if your husband can petition for you, you should immediately start the process, but you will still not be eligible for adjustment of status within the US, you would need to go back to your home country. Q. Es mejor solicitar la Accion Diferida o que mi esposo haga una peticion por mi? Puede mi esposo hacer la peticion por mi aunque yo solicite la Accion Diferida? - La Accion Diferida no otorga la residencia. La Accion Diferida solo le permitira aplicar para una auntorizacion de empleo, pero si su esposo puede hacer una peticion por usted, entonces deberia iniciarla inmediatamente, pero aun con Accion Diferida usted no sera elegible para ajustar su estatus dentro de los Estados Unidos. Usted tendra que viajar a su pais de origen. Q. My husband was deported and he is currently living in Mexico, Can I still petition for my husband? - Yes you can still petition for him, but the case will be a bit complicated. Q. Si mi esposo fue deportado y actualmente esta viviendo en Mexico, aun puedo hacer una peticion por el? - Si aun puede usted hacer la peticion por su esposo pero su caso sera un poco complicado. Q. What can I do if I feel like I was discriminated due to my race by one of the USCIS officials ? - This shouldn't be happening, but if that's the case you can call toll-free to 1-800-323-8603 to speak to a USCIS supervisor. Q. Que puedo hacer si siento que eh sido descriminado por mi raza por uno de los oficiales de USCIS? - Esto es algo que no debe suceder, pero si este es el caso usted puede llamar gratuitamente al 1-800-323-8603 para hablar con un supervisor de USCIS.

I absolutely don't, will never understand why they request so much information when we struggle to get by in life with no proper documentation. Sure I'll send all my all my college records, my bank statements , my car and house payments. So I guess affidavits are useless but acceptable. I sent them all documentation I have so I don't know what to do.

Thank you guys.!!! I received my mail notification on my aproval yesterday..Just waiting on my card Good luck to all who are still waiting.!

well look on the bright side at least you heared back. when i got my RFE i felt like a weight had been lifted of my shoulders becasue I knew someone had look at my aplication and i was not denied...ok just send your info and with in 2 week you will get approved good luck

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/01/us/dream-act-gives-young-immigrants-a-political-voice.html?pagewanted=all&pagewanted=print Young Immigrants Say It’s Obama’s Time to Act By JULIA PRESTON NEW HAVEN — It has been a good year for young immigrants living in the country without legal papers, the ones who call themselves Dreamers. Their protests and pressure helped push President Obama to offer many of them reprieves from deportation. So far about 310,000 youths have emerged from the shadows to apply, with numbers rising rapidly. Door-knocking campaigns led by those immigrants, who could not vote, mobilized many Latinos who could, based in no small part on the popularity of the reprieve program. After Latinos rewarded Mr. Obama with 71 percent of their votes, the president said one of the first items on his agenda next year would be a bill to legalize 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, which would offer a path to citizenship for young people. Behind the political momentum, administration officials and advocates say, is an extensive and surprisingly adroit movement of youthful immigrants. Because of their illegal status, however, they have often been more influential than they have been visible. In the past two years, they pursued their goal of legal recognition through a calibrated strategy of quiet negotiations, public “coming-out” events where youths declared their status, and escalating street protests. Now, movement leaders say, it is payback time. When Congress last debated broad reform, in 2007, populist energy was on the side of those opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants. Angry resistance from Republicans defeated a legalization proposal by President George W. Bush. This time the young immigrants are the rising force, and they seek legislation to give them a direct and permanent path to citizenship. But recalling that Mr. Obama also promised at the start of his first term to move swiftly on immigration overhaul, they say their attitude toward him is wait-and-see. “People are not going to hug the president right now,” said Carlos Saavedra, 26, an immigrant from Peru and national coordinator of United We Dream, the largest network of young immigrants here illegally. “They are waiting for him to take some action.” This weekend, United We Dream will gather more than 600 leaders (most still without legal status) from 30 states at a meeting in Kansas City, Mo., to work out their strategy to keep the heat on the White House and Congress during the coming immigration fight. Even some adversaries acknowledge the youth movement’s successes. “They have framed their story in a very popular way, and they’ve leveraged that story very effectively,” said Roy S. Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, a leading group opposing amnesty. There have been other banner moments this year for young people who take their name from the Dream Act, a bill before Congress that would create a formal path to citizenship for young people here illegally who came to this country as children. In June, Jose Antonio Vargas, a journalist born in the Philippines, appeared on the cover of Time magazine along with a dozen others without legal status. In August, Benita Veliz, who is from Mexico, spoke at the Democratic National Convention about growing up without legal status. Overcoming Fear The high profile is recent for organizers whose work has often been clandestine. In the early years of the movement, even convening a meeting was a challenge, since so many youths, lacking papers, could not fly or drive without risking deportation. “They put at risk their own safety and being sent back to a country they haven’t seen since they were in diapers,” said Angela Kelley, an advocate and veteran of many immigration wars on Capitol Hill, now at the Democratic-leaning Center for American Progress in Washington. For many Dream leaders, activism began in the last years of high school, when they realized that their status might prevent them from going to college. Here in New Haven, Lorella Praeli, the director of advocacy for United We Dream, said she was 2 years old when she came from Peru. Her father brought her for medical treatment after her leg was amputated following a car crash. Ms. Praeli attended Quinnipiac University on scholarship, and she graduated last year with honors. Now 24, she said exasperation with Congress’s inaction on the Dream Act propelled her to join the movement. Mr. Saavedra, from Boston, was in high school in 2004 when he joined a campaign for an in-state resident college tuition discount for illegal immigrants in Massachusetts. He said he became a full-time activist after the bill passed the state legislature but was vetoed by the governor, Mitt Romney. Gaby Pacheco, 27, originally from Ecuador, hoped to teach children with autism, but without papers could not be certified. In 2010 she joined a four-month protest walk from her home in Miami to Washington with three other students. In California, Justino Mora, 23 and Mexican-born, was an honors student and track team captain in high school. Because of his status, Mr. Mora said, he had to postpone college studies in aerospace engineering. He joined a California branch of the Dream network. The leaders had another moment of truth when they publicly revealed their illegal status. Ms. Praeli’s moment came before television cameras at a news conference called at the last minute in New Haven in 2010. “I wasn’t prepared and I’m thinking, I haven’t even talked to my mom yet,” she said. Improvising, she recounted her personal story. Soon, she felt relief. “Once you’re out in public,” she said, “there is no hiding, there is no fake narrative. The overwhelming feeling is, I don’t have to worry about being someone I’m not.” The Power of Stories United We Dream was founded in 2009 by local groups that banded together into a national network. The leaders realized that encouraging young people to recount the stories of their lives in hiding and of their thwarted aspirations could be liberating for them, and also compelling for skeptical Americans. Now, in tactical sessions, young immigrants are trained to tell their stories to anyone who will listen, from a voter to a United States senator. Two years ago Dreamer groups began holding coming-out ceremonies where students defied the immigration authorities with signs announcing they were “undocumented and unafraid.” “One of our successes has been that we have created a shared identity about being a Dreamer,” said Cristina Jimenez, 28, who was born in Ecuador and graduated from Queens College in New York and is now the managing director of United We Dream. A turning point for the movement was the lame-duck session of Congress in late 2010. The Dream Act passed the House of Representatives. In the Senate, it failed by five votes. More than 200 immigrants watched from the Senate gallery. “A lot of us stepped out of the gallery and we were crying,” Ms. Praeli said. “And it was like that, I think, for five minutes. And then the attitude just changed.” Many left Washington feeling more determined, she said. Ms. Pacheco said she concluded that day that it was time to shift strategies. The House majority would pass to Republicans, who rejected the Dream Act as a reward to immigrant lawbreakers. The movement would have to concentrate on the president, Ms. Pacheco believed, to press him to stop deportations using executive powers. In a meeting after the vote with Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, Ms. Pacheco said she grabbed him and whispered in his ear. “You know the president has the power to stop deporting us,” she said. “You know you could tell him to do this.” Startled, Mr. Reid gave her a hug and walked away. November 30, 2012

Last month the STEM bill passed in the house; 245 votes to 139. Stem is an immigration bill that would grant green cards for up to 55,000 foreign-born, US-trained graduates every year.The bill is now up for a vote in the Senate, if we attach the DREAM Act to it we could potentially get the DREAM Act this year. In order to get DREAM attached we need Senator Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and Senator Durbin, the author of the DREAM Act to push to attach it. Please join us in making a call to these two great leaders and asking them to take a final stand for the DREAM Act! Call Senator Reid @ 202-224-3542 Call Senator Durbin @ 202-224-2152 http://action.dreamactivist.org/dreamstem/

Hi my name is Valery,17 and a Junior in High School. I take IB Art, which is the equivalent to college art, at such a young age I'm happy to take such high level course. I'm assigned to do 3 Studio pieces every 9 weeks and my next topic is all about Dreamers. I've got a layout for my next piece but i need help from fellow dreamers. Here's what I need A Profile Picture ( Front View picture) (Only from head to your chest. not full body) A statement. ( Ex: I have a dream of becoming...; or Finally we are given a chance. or Thank you Obama) Any Type of Statement of how happy you are with the Deferred Action or your future plans or anything will be accepted. Now you don't need to give me your name unless you want to. if so only provide your first name. Other than that everyone's identity will be kept anonymous. **Your Full Image Won't Be Use,Only A Small Section.** maybe your eyes, nose or just you etc. Just so y'all get an idea of how your image will be used here is a picture, mine will be hand drawn but this shows the concept. http://image.shutter...ge-75447187.jpg For those who would like to help me out Please Send me a Private Message with your picture and Statement. Also please let others know i need about 50 images to make a Guy version and a girl Version. And When i finish it i'll be sure contact you so you get to see how your picture was used. Please help me. Thank you.

It is probably something minor.

A FRIEND OF MINE DID A WALK IN EARLY OCTOBER AN SHE STILL HASNT BEEN APROVE LOL SO IMA WAIT TILL DEC 18..CAUSE DATS WHEN MY APPOINMENT IS I DONT WANNNA DISRECPECT THE IMMIGRATION PEOPLE ,,, DAT WAY I GIVE MY SELF A TIMELINE OF WHEN MAYBE I GET IT...I THINK BY MARCH.....ILL BE APROVE I BELIEVE LOOKING AT EVERYONE .....TIMELINES AN STUFF

Here's my experience . I got my ead in the mail nov 30 . Went to ssa on Monday dec 3 applied for social . They asked for ead card and my passport 3 minutes later he gave me a receipt ! Next morning dec 4 I got my ssn printout at the ssa office right after that I went straight to DMV and applied for both DL and regular ID after that I took the writing test and past only missed 2 . On dec 5 I went back and did the behind the wheel test it took like 10 min . After that she told me I passed and had to go back inside and get a printout of my DL . Now I'm just waiting for my actual cards in the mail

Thanks for posting this Erika. I got the chills listening to their statements. It seems so close but at the same time so surreal.

I've seen this and frankly, things looks very promising for next year. I can't say whether an immigration reform will get passed or not by next year, the subject is being talked about and that's important.

Woo Hawaii here I come!

lol ... haven't checked mine since Tuesday

I live in Utah were we had a thing called a driving previllage card. Just like a DL but we had to renew every year. Anyways when I had my EAD and my SSN I took the Form I-797 plus two pieces of mail. Took all that and walked out an hour later. Well after the 28 fee for renewing.

Don't worry too much rh_ny! This happen to mee too and now im waiting something from uscis. Keep calm and let me know when u get something. Good luck!

There was a member who got an RFE and a week or so after they received her evidence she was approved. I would say try not to panic because the fact that you got an RFE means your case is already ahead of most. You should wait a week or two. Best wishes.

just signed it~

yes, you do not have to pay it back humm,,,, not sure on that one :/ but like i said try to go to the financial aid office at your school and tell them about your situation or just simply tell them that you need help filling out the dream application and they'll tell you what you have to do in your case, that's what i did i went to the financial aid office at my school and they were very helpful

i live in CA and here's my experience: after i went to the SSA office, i went online and made an appt at the DMV for 2 weeks later. on my appt date, i went to the DMV and has my SSN, my EAD, also i took my passport and birth certificate just in case. while waiting for my number to be called, i filled out the application for my ID and permit. i then took my permit test, only missed 1 question. had my picture taken, did a little eye exam (i have to wear my glasses while i'm driving, my DL says so )and after about an hr or so, i had my permit and the receipt for my ID. a week later, i took my driving test and passed. but seeing how you live in a different state, i would look at what your DMV requires for someone to get a DL. especially if you're under 18. there could be a different form because you're under 18 or because you're not a citizen.

I enjoy playing tennis!

My parents got me a lawyer, because they watch too much TV LOL,. but my cousin also got a lawyer and it only took her around three weeks. Her brother's application was sent along with hers and he hasn't been approved (yet). So it's really about the process and the people looking at the applications.