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hello everybody I am frederico and i am originally from germany. i first came to the united states in 2004 when i was 14 years old. i came for high school on a visa under my mother. i finished high school and started college but my visa expired in 2007. i decided to stay past my visa stay since i had started a new life here. this started my life as an undocumented immigrant. life wasnt that much different at the beginning since i had a lot of documentation, (drivers license, work permit, social security card, etc...), but when these expired things got a lot harder. I dropped out of college because of a lack of funds and tried to continue working to save for school. finding a job got increasingly harder and harder because of my lack of documentation so i had to resort to odd jobs here and there to support myself. my mother moved out of the state so i am by myself now trying to support myself on next to nothing. i was arrested in 2010 for some minor misdemeanors and was put into removal proceedings by ice and uscis. i spent a month in immigration detention while they tried to figure what to do with me. i was released from immigration detention and had to wear an ankle bracelet for 6 months!!! i hated it. after my release i enter a program so i would not get convicted and did over 300 community service hours. eventually my charges were dismissed and expunged and my record was wiped clean. i had to report to ice on a monthly basis to "check in" and eventually my removal proceeding was taken to court. then president obama announced the dream act. i was overjoyed and couldnt wait to apply since i was eligible. i worked hard to find the $485 to file the application and did so and have been waiting since. i last went to immigration court in october and i presented my application for deferred action to the immigration judge there. their office decided to exercise prosecutorial discretion in my case and they stopped the removal process. i was really happy but i am still undocumented. i thought that because they stopped the removal process that i would be approved for deferred action really quickly but that has not been the case. i am still waiting but i have faith. as of right now i am doing everything i can to support myself until i get the documentation to be able to go back to school and continue my life.

Some of us have already been approved and have even received our EADS and SS Cards...now the tough climb begins.... This topic is for us to share our experiences and tips upon entering the workforce. Ill start by sharing mine: I worked "under the table" and never attempted to use my SS # because of the NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT restriction, neither did I use a fake one for fear of getting caught and the consequences. This "under the table" jobs dont qualify as experience and shouldnt because I shouldnt have been working in the first place. Needless to say, the economy SUCKS. At this moment as we approach the holiday seasons, is when more jobs should be available but it seems they arent availble to those "unexperienced" Ive been applying mostly at retail jobs, heres my list: Kmart Sears Pet's Smart Pet's Barn Radioshack Dollar General Family Dollar Ross Jack In the Box Macys Local supermarkets Clerical jobs at local businesses Local Laundromat Some of these places have already sent me emails from their human resources departments that I cant be considered for the position because I have NO WORK EXPERIENCE. Its sad and disheartening but all I can do is continue. I prepped up my resume with special skills to see if I'd catch anything with the following statement: I am highly skilled in the use of computers and the Internet, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook and Internet searches. I learn very quickly, possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. I am fluent in both English/Spanish and possess the ability to speak, read and write at an advanced level. I can type 55 words per minute and am a firm believer in providing exceptional customer service. I am currently training at a local business as a cashier. I started intershiping/training as a cashier at my father in laws business. Hopefully Ill be able to learn quickly and find a job ASAP. Some jobs ask if you have a DL, be sure and obtain this ASAP. It shows one is prepared. Im still in the process of obtaining mine but will eventually. My personal advice is: Many doors will close but when that "golden" door finally does open, its because it was meant to be.

Hello there my name is Hector Lupercio. Honestly i am in a very difficult position right now with my case. My case is currently on hold because of a few things. After i graduated from high school on June 6th, 2010. I have NO legit documentation that i was here during the last half of 2010, 2011, and 2012. I have no bills under my name, no bank account, no cell phone bill, just a doctors visit from August of 2012. I had no need for any of this stuff, I was living under my parents roof, making little to no money helping them with everyday chores and mowing the neighbors lawn and so forth. The ONLY some what usable documentation is about a dozen orders i made from amazon.com. Which i used my mothers debit card, and i just paid her in cash. Also An Xbox Live account that ive had for the past 5 years, which has my mothers debit card on my account. I also have all the purchases i made from Xbox from all the way back to 2007. Is there any way i can use that information to help my case? Also i have NO documentation of being present on July 15th 2012. Like i said i had nothing under my name, i had no need for it. My life was basically in the gutter and i had no way out. Obviously until now. But some circumstances are keeping me away from starting my life. DOCUMENTATION! if there is anyone that could possibly help me PLEASE email me at: [email protected] I really need help with this! Thank you for your time. i hope you have a wonderful day

AFTER READING A FEW POST AND BROWSING IT SEEMS LIKE CALIFORNIA IN PARTICULAR IS TAKING THE LONGEST TO APROVE THE APPLICATION WHAT DO YOU THINK.

Ive been in the U.S since i was 4 years old. All i remember from that life changing journey is that i was crammed in the trunk of a car for what seemed to be an eternity before arriving in the state of California, more especifically the city of Santa Ana. Growing up as an immigrant in Santa Ana wasnt all that bad until i got to high school. The dumb slurs about immigrants would get more irritating and more real. Ive always been proud of being a Mexicano, i am proud of my roots and my identity. Being like that always got me in trouble when i would hear negative things about immigrants because i always had something to say. While in high school i was a member of the Puente program. When it came time to apply to colleges and or scholarships, the harsh reality of being an immigrant sinked in. while everyone applied for their favsas and other government appointed grants, i had to settle for smaller ones where there were masses of others competing for as much as they could to apply towards their college educations. At that point i started to get a bit discouraged about the whole college idea. Ive always been a good student, school was always one of my biggest interests, but hearing stories of people like me going above and beyond to get a degree and not being able to get a job in their field of study was an enormous tragedy. Not wanting to deal with all of that dissapointment i got a job after i graduated high school and working became my priority. I thought that making my own money and being independent would be much easier than trying achieve and education that at the time would not benifit me in any way to get a job, i had a rude awakening when i became a part of the immigrant work force of california. In a society where a social security number gives you access to a drivers license, a cell phone contract and a job, things were beginning to be really hard for me. Asking others for favors like getting me a loan for a car or applying for a cell phone started to get old really fast. Driving with the fear of getting pulled over also took its toll on me. it seemed everywhere i turned and everything i tried to do was never going to be enough because of my status. Seeing others around me that were legal waste away their opportunity of going to college and getting an education really frustrated me. I would always ask myself, "why me?" "why couldnt i be one of the lucky ones to not have to deal with any of this?" Everything happens for a reason right? im still trying to find the reason for this. After working countless jobs from burger joints to fire and water restoration, I finally found one where I could work without worrying about my status. Its not the best job in the world nor does it pay well and on top of that I have to put up with the constant verbal abuse of the oowner since he uses my status to his advantage, but its better than not having a job. i decided to go to college where i have been going part time since 2008. It hasnt been easy working full time and going to school, but i wont give up, or atleast not yet. When the defferred action was passed it seemed too good to be true. After all this time something in our favor comes along and gets approved. This is the only thing that i have that can change my life. The big break i have been waiting for since my junior year of high school. hopefully it all goes well and i get approved sooner rather than later. Hope is still alive within me. thanks to all that read this and thank you all of you that put in a lot of time and effort on this forum providing others with help and hope.

Thank you Jose1414 and Gezinha for taking the time to write! Bless you all!

Yeah, just that year. I got a RFE for '09 and '10 and I havent been approved yet, but I sent it last week. I sent paypal records, ebay records and I found some utility bills for '10. But for '09 it was a really dead year for me, I didn't go to the doctor that year, barely did anything other than work. But I bought a lot of stuff online, I am hoping it is enough. And it better be because a few months back there was a guy who was on the news that he was granted Deferred action after presenting xbox payment records, so, anything is good proof as long as it has your name, address and date, I guess. Good luck to us all.

Ur Ur welcome just try to get as much proof for that year . It don't have to be the whole year just enough the more the better. Everything is gona to good for you I know it, they only asking proof for that year so anything u send will help them. As for me I had to send evidence for presence for the five years so I send a lot .im still waiting for my respond they received my RFE on January 25th n they told me on April 10 I should hear a respond I hope I get approved soon as well. Best of luck to you

Yes they only want evidence for that year, it could be phone records, rent receipts , or any kind of receipts Pays tubs from your job. Anything that has ur name and date for that year

Application received september 27 bios on october 30th and still waiting under initial review with california service center

im going to call back on the 10th which will be my 6 month wait, i hope they dont give me another bs excuse about why its taking soo long.

Applied september 27 Did bios on october 30th And still under initial review this sucks big time California service center you suck

No need to wait, that was at the beginning when the operators at the ssn center were not familiar with the process. You can go the next day if wanted.

they received my app on august 28th 2012 and did my bio on oct 3rd 2012, my case was sent to vermont, and last friday i finally received a notice telling me that my name had been updated, i was like what does that mean, so i called uscis yest and they put in a service request, coincidentally, i was approved today!!! keep getting txt, and everytime i check things r moving so quickly, my card is being processed. so believe me, the wait is sooooo worth it! ure gonna be ok