While many legal advisors suggest proceeding with caution, on August 14, the Department of Homeland Security officially released the forms to request deferred action that may be filed by undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children and meet various other requirements. According to the American Immigration Council, beginning August 15, applicants may mail their requests to specified facilities maintained by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Immigrants wishing to request deferred action must submit three forms: 

• Form I-821D, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals;
• Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization; and
• Form I-765WS, Form I-765 Worksheet.

When completing the forms, applicants will want to consult the detailed instructions for both Forms I-821D and I-765 (available here and here). In addition, applicants wanting to be notified by e-mail or text message that their forms have been accepted should also submit Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petitioner Acceptance. As detailed in the instructions, applicants must submit $465 in fees as well as documentation demonstrating that they satisfy the eligibility requirements.  For complete information on the request process, potential applicants should visit www.uscis.gov/childhoodarrivals

Filed under: immigration