erika020

Hello guys and girls ! I received an email from United We Dream about a conference with USCIS tomorrow Dec. 5 and I thought I should share it with you guys just in case you guys are interested on participating or have question for USCIS. Here is the e-mail I got: Hi , In case you have any questions about the process, forms or policies, please be sure to attend this call offered by USCIS. When: December 5, 2012. 7:30 pm EST to 9:00 pm EST _____________________________________________________________________________ Dear Stakeholder, On Wednesday, December 5, 2012, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Eastern), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will conduct a nationalSpanish-language Enlace session as part of an ongoing series of quarterly public engagements. This free session is an opportunity for Spanish-speakers to engage with us in their own language. During the Enlace, we will provide agency updates, discuss immigration-related topics, and answer your questions. USCIS representatives will be available for participants to discuss regulations, policies, operations, and forms, but will not offer legal or case-specific advice. The event will be broadcast live from USCIS Headquarters and you can participate by: Calling us toll-free to 1-888-989-4980 (password - ENLACE ) Viewing our live Web stream at www.uscis.gov/Live/Enlace Emailing us at [email protected] or Following us on Twitter at @USCIS_es *We encourage you to send us your questions prior to the event via Twitter @USCIS_es To participate in the call via telephone: Please dial : 1-888-989-4980 (password - Enlace) Note: On the day of the engagement we recommend dialing in 10-15 minutes prior to the start of the call. To participate via live Web stream go to: www.uscis.gov/live/enlace For further information: Please contact the Public Engagement Division at [email protected] and reference “ENLACE” in the subject line of your email. Please include your full name, email address, and the organization you represent. Kind regards, Public Engagement Division U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) www.uscis.gov/enlace

I don't know how many of you know about it (for those in California) but AB 131(which is part of the CA Dream Act) will become effective on January 1, 2013, very soon! so here is some info about it. The California Dream Act of 2011 is the result of two bills, Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130) and Assembly Bill 131 (AB 131). Together, these bills allow undocumented and documented students who meet certain provisions of AB 540 law to apply for and receive private scholarships funneled through public universities (AB 130), state-administered financial aid, University grants, and community college fee waivers (AB 131). AB 131 : Signed into law on October 8, 2011. Becomes effective on January 1, 2013. Apply for and receive institutional grants like the UC "University Grant", the CSU "State University Grant", the CSU Extended Opportunity Program (EOP) or the California Community College Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS). Apply and receive California Community Colleges Board of Governor's fee waiver ( BOG fee waiver) . If you are attending a California Community College and plan to transfer to a 4-year institution in the fall of 2013 or later, you may qualify for a Community College Transfer Entitlement Cal Grant also known as the CCC Transfer Entitlement Cal B (Apply JAN - MAR 2013) . If you are enrolled or expect to enroll in a career technical program at your college, you may qualify for a Cal Grant C ( Apply JAN-MAR 2013). Dream Act students without legal immigration status will be required to fill out the CA Student Aid Commission's own Dream Application in lieu (stead) of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Like any other dependent Cal Grant applicants, Dream Act students will be required to submit parental income and asset information. The demographic information students will provide on the Cal Dream Application is largely the same as the information that students have already supplied to their high schools and colleges. There are no checks and matches between the Cal Dream App and any federal databases. Dream Act students' and their parents' information is protected by the same privacy and information security laws and safeguard as all other Cal Grants applicants. California Dream Application website: www.CalDreamAct.org I also attached more info on AB 130 & AB 131 CA Dream Act (AB130 & AB131) FAQ's.pdf

Hello everyone my name is Erika I'm from the city of Mexico and i'm currently living in California. Like many of you I share the same story. When I was about 5 -6 years old my dad decided to come to the U.S to be able to make more money to give us (me and my sisters) a better future. His plans were to come to the U.S and stay here for a couple of years , save some money and then go back to Mexico, but that didn't happen. When I was 9-10 years old my mom also decided to come to the U.S with my dad. Things (economically) were getting a little tough for us in Mexico. So my parents decided that it would be better for all of us to go to the U.S. My mom was first. She came to California to meet with my dad while me and my two sisters stayed with my grandma in Zacatecas. We stayed with my grandma for a year and then my parents send for us.To be honest i had no idea of how things were gonna be over here in the U.S, I thought things were gonna be better for us over here, which in a way they are. I started 6th grade over here in Cali, things were going good till I got to my junior year in high school when i tried to challenge myself even more by taking college classes while i was still in high school. Many of my friends were taking college classes and the adviser from one of the clubs I was part of in high school recommended me to also take college classes because for high school students the classes at a community college were free plus it was gonna make me more competitive and it was gonna increase my opportunities into getting into a UC (University of California; some of the best 4 year universities in California) . So not really knowing anything about my situation/status i decided to go for it and take a college class, but when i was gonna register for the class they told me I had to pay like $600 dollars for it because i didn't have an SSN or legal status. That's when it hit me, because i didn't know i was limited to do certain things just because i didn't have a nine digit number, I was here thinking i had the same opportunities as everyone else. So I didn't end up taking any college classes because of course i didn't have the money to pay for it. So i started to get more informed about my situation, but to be honest it was devastating for me to know that I was limited to do a lot of stuff, I couldn't get into programs i wanted to form part of in high school just because i didn't have a nine digit number . Sometimes my friends would ask me why, but i couldn't tell them why because i was scared that they might look at me different . I knew I was gonna have to try my hardest and I did. I did as much as i could but even when i tried my hardest i wasn't able to gather the money to pay for college. I got accepted into all the universities I applied to, but couldn't go to any of them because of the money, but i didn't stop there. I decided to go to a community college. I have to admit it, i felt a little depressed because i couldn't go to a 4 year university right out of high school just like many of my friends did, especially knowing that i tried my hardest in high school and ended up in a community college, but it turned out to be not that bad at least i'm still studying. To be honest i used to think I was the only one in this situation, but now that got more into searching more about my situation i was impressed to find out how many people are in the same situation that I am and that's really encouraging so don't give up guys we're not alone let's keep on fighting for our dreams!

Hello everyone, I want to extend the invitation for those who live in areas near Pacoima, CA to join us on our annual Coming Out Of The Shadows (COOTS) event . It's a great opportunity for those who want to get involved in the immigrant movement and also a great opportunity to come out and share your story publicly and proclaim your identities. The San Fernando Valley community is excited to announce its 5th annual Coming Out Of The Shadows (COOTS). Join the San Fernando Valley Immigrant Youth Coalition, Somos Familia Valle, and the San Fernando Valley Dream Team on Saturday, March 21st at 12pm for our movement demonstration of unity, empowerment, and radical solidarity. As grassroots organizations led by people of color, we are thrilled to be joining forces for the first time. We will bring together the powerful voices of courageous immigrant parents, unapologetic immigrant youth, unashamed LGBTQ immigrants, and our local allies. Our members will open up, proclaim their identities, and you will hear the stories that we don't get to know in our Valley often enough. Be present and stand up against oppression. Our grassroots organizations are looking forward to reclaiming our humanity through our stories. Everyone and ALL families are welcome to join us at the Van Nuys Blvd. & Laurel Canyon Blvd. intersection. We will march from this intersection to the Richie Valens Park in Pacoima (about 3 blocks distance). We will come together to get to know the stories of our San Fernando Valley undocumented neighbors who are excluded from Obama's deferred actions, and other community members of the immigrant community who fall through the cracks in the dehumanizing and criminalizing machine that is the U.S. immigration system. Being undocumented is not our only identity! Come hear our stories, get to know our intersecting identities, common struggles, and join us for an open mic afterwards! March is National Coming Out Of The Shadows Month, a time when immigrant communities across the country reclaim public spaces & gather to challenge unjust immigration laws. National Coming Out of the Shadows started in Chicago, Illinois on March 10th, 2010 when undocumented youth declared to be “UNDOCUMENTED AND UNAFRAID” at Federal Plaza, facing the immigration and federal office building. Around the country, other undocumented youth did the same, some times escalating to civil disobedience in support of immigrant rights. Be part of history in the San Fernando Valley. Come out as you are. We look forward to elevating our immigrant power together.

Hi guys/girls. The purpose of the Undocucaravan is to push Governor of CA Jerry Brown to sing the TRUST ACT which aim is to limit the states participation in Secure Communities, a federal program in CA that requires state and local law enforcement to share the fingerprints of people booked in local jails with immigration officials In Its current version the bill will restrict who, state and agencies , can hold for deportation at the request of immigration officials, limiting only to those with serious criminal convictions on record (http://www.scpr.org) About the CaravanOn Monday, June 24th, we will set off across the state with no papers and no fear. After three years of waiting, it’s time to protect immigrant and all families by passing the TRUST Act. If Governor Brown still doesn’t see that, we, as undocumented Californians, will help it become clear to him next week. Between then and now, we will caravan across the state to do two things: expose the deportation machine that runs unchecked in our state and lift up the stories and struggles of those of us whose lives are overshadowed by it in the absence of TRUST. We will confront our adversaries and comfort those who bear the brunt of these policies. We will collect it all and bring it to the Governor who we ask to meet with us so that he can understand the stakes, the lives, and the trust that require his action. Here is the link for the live stream!! http://www.ustream.tv/channel/undocumented-caravan Please share and support! help us spread the word we need to let our voice be heard! thanks in advance!

ok my sister got approved on January 14 and according to USCIS her card was sent to her on the 16 they gave her a tracking number and she checked it and it said that her card was out to delivery (that was on the 18) but she didn't receive anything... apparently usps sent her card back to uscis, so my sister called USCIS and the lady that answered her call told her that she had to wait seven days and that it was barely the sixth day and that they didn't have her card yet (even though in the usps website said that her card was delivered at the uscis facility already) :/ but the day after that when she checked her status to see if there was any updates, it said that she was in initial review again :/ so she called uscis again and the guy from uscis told her to wait because she was still under initial review .... well to make the story short the guy was really confused and he said that he didn't know what happened that he was gonna transfer her call to someone else, then the other guy was able to fix the problem but gosh! it was such a mess they also told her that she made a change of address that she called the day before to change her address .... I don't know what the heck they did seriously! it took them an hour to be able to fix the problem :/ so she hasn't gotten her card yet :/ hopefully it doesn't happen the same all over again :/

Let's hope something happens next year! http://noticias.univision.com/al-punto/videos/video/2012-12-02/reforma-migratoria-despues-del-20-de-enero

Can you guys sign this petition , please WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: push for the Immigration Reform where Illegal Immigrants with no past criminal records, can obtain Residency. the Latino and immigrant population of this country want president Obama to push for the Immigration Reform to where he gives Residency to all Illegal immigrants with no past Criminal Records, since it will help poverty levels reduce and will help the economy. https://petitions.wh...idency/GxZ1LDjk

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.

Well first of all congrats on all your accomplishments!! I know what you mean, I tried really hard in school (high school) to be the top student in my class because I wanted to go to a 4-year university right after High School and then during my junior year I found out what being undocumented really meant :/ I knew I was undocumented, but didn't know what that implied. I just knew I couldn't go back to Mexico and that I couldn't get a driver's license other than that I didn't know there was more to it. My family would always tell me "it's okay mija just say you're a citizen" so I thought that that's how I was going to be able to function here by just telling people I was a "citizen" wish it could've been that easy :/ long story short didn't end up going to the university I wanted to go (UCSB) because well it was hella expensive and back then there was no such thing as the CA Dream Act ( for those in Cali) sunk into depression for a while, but that didn't stop me I've been in a community college for 7 years, but still going at it. Although yes, our status does limit us on many things, it shouldn't define who we are citizens or not siempre seguimos adelante so thank you for sharing your story! Hope you hear from them soon and let's keep on hoping for the best

It's nice that they are supporting or trying to be supportive, but what I don't like is the fact that they continue to portray this good vs. Bad immigrant narrative leaving out a HUGE population of undocumented youth and immigrants. School is not for everyone, plus why do we have to be this perfect citizen when their own citizens can't even do that. They're creating divisions between the immigrant community by labelling the deserving immigrant vs the one who is not worthy to be here :/ citizenship, work permit, or whatever else they are introducing is going to come at what cost? Hopefully they introduce a CLEAN Dream Act, one that won't increase militarization and more ice raids, more anti-immigrant laws. Would hurt me to be able to qualify while my parents and my friends that didn't qualify for DACA live in fear of deportation or worse, get deported but... let's just hope for the best

I'm sure you'll get your approval by then That I know once your work permit expires, you are out of the protection of DACA, but if you sent it on time, you should be good if the date that your work permit expires gets closer and you still haven't gotten approved, give them a call. But, I know what you mean, the wait is nerve-racking. Hope you hear from them soon

For me, it took about two months to get approved maybe a bit more than two months . My work permit was gonna expired on March, but I got it way before my expiration date.

You should be able to check your case online or you can give them a call and ask, just to make sure

They were specific about who can still renew, if you try to send it they will send you back your application. I know it was recommended to talk to a lawyer to see if perhaps you have other options, you might qualify for something else you might not. I know there are couple lawyers and organizations doing screenings to see if people who can no longer renew qualify for something else. I would suggest to look into resources that some orgs have provided. United We Dream's website might be able to give you more info on organization near your area. But as of now, let's just hope for the best and continue to push for something more inclusive and clean, without so many amendments that criminalize people.

Eh I don't know, this has always been a political game, where they play with the lives of many. Creating this narratives of the "good" vs te "bad" immigrant forcing people to compete and be worthy of simple human rights. Always the same thing with them, "we only want the best, the role model". High expectations that the so called citizens of this nation can't even meet. My parents aren't criminals for having the courage to bring me here, but according to them they don't deserve the right to be here :/ idk I'm just tired to be honest. I'm tired of seeing how our communities are always criminalized. But that's just how I feel :/ I kind of needed to vent tbh :/ this whole political climate is so irritating

Actually I just saw this !!

you can still apply, and you should do it ASAP, before October 5th. "I still need to apply for my renewal! But I am past my Ideal Application zone! What do I do and What can I expect? What happens now? If you haven’t applied yet- you CAN still apply, even if you have already passed your “ideal application zone” (which was between 150 and 120 days before your expiration date), but you absolutely MUST apply as soon as you possibly can as the consequences of waiting will be serious and bad. First, you need to know there is no “deadline” to submit your DACA renewal application, but there are BAD consequences if you apply too close (or past) your expiration date. You have up to 1 year after your DACA expiration date to apply as a renewal applicant. After this 1 year mark you will have to apply again as a first time DACA applicant. Do NOT wait this long- applying as a renewal applicant is a lot easier than applying as a first-time applicant, there’s less evidence you need to submit" source link here

I sent a copy of my approval letters as well

Congrats Osha glad it came on time Hopefully I'll receive my approval this week before mine expires

Application sent: Oct. 27 Application received: Oct. 31 Service Center: Nebraska Acceptance letter received: Nov. 4 Date of Biometrics : Nov. 24 Approval: still pending Expiration day: March 1st , in a week!! And no approval yet :/

It is only temporary, It will now move up to the 5th Circuit District Court to be reviewed and either rule against it again or in favor. If it rules in favor of DAPA and DACA extension meaning they declare DAPA and DACA extension constitutional then they go back to being implemented. If they rule against it then it will be moved to the Supreme Court. Either way, president has already stated that he will veto the bill, but we are hoping that it doesn't go through all that long process. We hope that the judges in the 5th Circuit District Court rule in favor. But in the mean time please do not get discouraged and keep preparing all your documents to be ready once it comes out. For more info you can register to this webinar that United We Dream will be hosting a long with legal experts for those who have questions. Webinar is today. http://unitedwedream.org/webinar-lets-talk-immigrationaction-lawsuit-means/?source=graphiclink

Well like it says on the article, it is very unlikely that the bill will pass on the senate because they need Democrat votes, but Democrats have come out and said that they will not support any bills against any of the recent President's executive actions and the president has also stated that he will veto the bill or any other bills. There're even 26 Republicans that were against this Bill. These are some of the many attacks that we're gonna see from Republicans and their main aim is to scared the community, but like the President told the DREAMers that met up with him last week, to encourage people to keep on applying because if these programs are successful then that could potentially lead to something broader. Either way, we knew that Republicans weren't gonna stay with their hands crossed, but we are not gonna let them. The fight continues and we're gonna be ready to fight back and keep our victories and we'll keep on pushing for something broader. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/immigration-reform-republicans-house-114251.html

I know a girl who traveled to two different places with AP already and she said that when she was at the airport on her way back to the US that immigration officers took her to this room where she was asked to show her visa or permit so she handed them the AP permit and they asked her several questions ; about her status, how she got DACA, her reason for traveling etc. and after that they let her go and was able to go back in to the US with no problem. She just said not to get nervous otherwise they will hold you longer.

I know a lot of people who have filed a request for AP and traveled to their home country and other countries. All of them were able to come back successfully. From what one of them told me, she was held by immigration officers on her way back to the US and was asked to show a paper that USCIS sent her when she got approved and she was interrogated, they asked her questions about her status, they asked her how she got DACA and the reason she was traveling to where she traveled and after an hour they let her go and was able to come back to the US with no problem at all. She went to Brazil (her country of birth ) and to Jerusalem .It took her about two months to get approved,but she said that you need to show proof that you're either going for a humanitarian, educational or employment purposes