Certain Three-Year Work Permits Must be Returned to USCIS by July 31, 2015

By order from Federal Judge Hanen, certain three-year work permits (Employment Authorization Documents) issued to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants must be returned to USCIS by July 31, 2015.

If you received a work permit under the DACA program after February 16, 2015 that is valid for three years, then you must return it to USCIS no later than July 31, 2015.

Additionally, if your DACA Employment Authorization Application was approved before February 16, 2015, but your work permit was issued after February 16, 2015, then you must also return your work permit to USCIS.

After July 7, 2015, USCIS began mailing out two-year work permits and letters to the individuals who received a three-year work permit after February 16, 2015.  However, if you moved and did not inform USCIS of your new address, you may not have received your new two-year work permit and the instructions to return your three-year work permit.

Any three-year work permit that was issued after February 16, 2015 will no longer be valid after July 31, 2015, and those individuals may have their DACA status terminated if they do not return their three-year work permit to USCIS.  Failure to return your three-year work permit may also impact any renewal application for DACA in the future.

If you have a three-year work permit and are unsure of whether you are required to return it to USCIS, please contact the Customer Service Center for USCIS at 1-800-375-5283, option 1 for English, then select option 8.

A representative can assist you in determining whether your three-year work permit needs to be returned and where the nearest USCIS Field Office is located.  You can also find the location of the nearest USCIS Field Office here:

http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/field-offices

If you are required to return your three-year work permit, you may either visit your local USCIS Field Office, or send your work permit to USCIS using U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail to:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

USCIS

ATTN: ACD DACA

P.O. BOX 87730

Lincoln, NE 68501-7730

Fed-Ex and other Courier Services will not deliver to this address, you must use the U.S. Postal Service.

If you are required to return your three-year work permit and your permit was lost or stolen, follow the instructions at the USCIS website below:

http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/daca-recipients-who-received-3-year-work-authorization-post-injunction-quick-facts

USCIS is making home visits in an effort to collect those three-year work permits that have not yet been returned.  Texas is among one of the first states scheduled for home visits. 

As a reminder, be mindful of scams and suspicious behavior.  Only return your three-year work permit to a USCIS official.  USCIS will not visit your place of employment, and they will not ask about the immigration status of anyone else in your home.  If someone comes to your home and asks for your work permit, be sure to ask them for proof that they are a USCIS officer.

It is very important that USCIS always has your most current address.  If you move, you are required to notify USCIS of your new address within 10 days of moving.  This can be done online at:  

http://www.uscis.gov/addresschange

Jessie Schreier is an immigration attorney at Petty & Associates, PLLC. She works out of the firm's Dallas office and focuses on removal defense, consular processing and adjustments of status.

Ciertos Permisos de Trabajo con Validez de Tres Años Debe Ser Devuelto a USCIS por 31 de julio 2015

Por orden del juez federal Hanen, ciertos permisos de trabajo de tres años (Documentos de Autorización de Empleo) emitidos a los recipientes de la Acción Diferida para las llegadas en Infancia (DACA) deben ser devueltos a USCIS por el 31 de julio de 2015.

Si ha recibido un permiso de trabajo en el marco del programa DACA después de 16 de febrero 2015 que tiene una validez de tres años, debe devolverlo a USCIS no más tarde del 31 de julio de 2015.

Además, si se aprueba su Solicitud de Autorización  por empleo antes de 16 de febrero 2015, pero su permiso de trabajo fue emitida después de 16 de febrero 2015, debe también devolver su permiso de trabajo a USCIS.

Después de 07 de julio 2015, el USCIS comenzó a enviar por correo permisos de trabajo de dos años y cartas a las personas que recibieron un permiso de trabajo de tres años después del 16 de febrero de 2015.  Sin embargo, si usted se mudó y no informó USCIS de su nueva dirección, pueden ser que no haber recibido su nuevo permiso de trabajo de dos años y las instrucciones para devolver su permiso de trabajo de tres años.

Cualquier permiso de trabajo de tres años que se emitió después de 16 de febrero 2015 ya no será válido después del 31 de julio 2015, y esas personas pueden tener su estado de DACA terminado si no vuelven su permiso de trabajo de tres años al USCIS. El no devolver su permiso de trabajo de tres años también puede afectar a cualquier solicitud de renovación de DACA en el futuro.

Si usted tiene un permiso de trabajo de tres años y no está seguro de si usted está obligado a devolverlo a USCIS, por favor póngase en contacto con el Centro de Servicio al Cliente de USCIS al 1-800-375-5283, opción 1 para Inglés, y seleccione la opción 8.

Un representante le puede ayudar a determinar si su permiso de trabajo de tres años tiene que ser devuelto y donde está ubicada la Oficina de Campo de USCIS más cercano. También puede encontrar la ubicación de la oficina de USCIS campo más cercano aquí:

http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/field-offices

Si usted está obligado a devolver el permiso de trabajo de tres años, es posible a entregarlo en su oficina local de USCIS o enviar su permiso de trabajo a USCIS utilizando Servicio Postal de Priority Mail a:

Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de EE.UU.

USCIS

Atención: ACD DACA

Apartado postal 87730 CAJA

Lincoln, NE 68501-7730

Fed-Ex y otros Servicios de mensajería no entregará a esta dirección, debe utilizar el Servicio Postal de Estados Unidos.

Si usted está obligado a devolver el permiso de trabajo de tres años y el permiso fue perdido o robado, siga las instrucciones en el sitio web de USCIS a continuación:

http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/daca-recipients-who-received-3-year-work-authorization-post-injunction-quick-facts

USCIS está haciendo visitas a domicilio, en un esfuerzo para recoger esos permisos de trabajo de tres años que aún no han sido devueltos. Texas es entre uno de los primeros estados previstas para las visitas domiciliarias.

Como recordatorio, ser conscientes de las estafas y comportamientos sospechosos. Sólo devolver su permiso de trabajo de tres años para un funcionario de USCIS. USCIS no visitar su lugar de trabajo, y no van a preguntar sobre el estatus migratorio de cualquier persona en su hogar. Si alguien viene a su casa y le pide su permiso de trabajo, asegúrese de pedirles prueba de que son un oficial de USCIS.

Es muy importante que USCIS tiene siempre su dirección más reciente. Si se muda, usted está obligado a notificar a USCIS de su nueva dirección dentro de los 10 días de haberse mudado. Esto se puede hacer en línea en:

http://www.uscis.gov/addresschange

Jessie Schreier es una abogada de inmigración de Petty & Associates, PLLC. Ella trabaja en la oficina de Dallas y se enfoca en casos de deportación, proceso consular y ajuste de estatus.

The Battle Over Immigrant Children Continues in Congress

The surge of unaccompanied minors continues to be an urgent humanitarian crisis that has proponents on both sides clashing over a solution.

Conservatives are pushing for tighter border security and cooperation from foreign governments, focusing on how to stem the flow before it reaches our borders. On the other side, humanitarians are zealously advocating for due process and proper treatment of minors once they are in our custody.

Yesterday, July 7, 2015, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs reconvened to hear the latest updates from The Department of Homeland Security. Republican Senator Ron Johnson from the state of Wisconsin gave DHS a hard time, criticizing them for releasing minors into the custody of parents and sponsors who are themselves undocumented.

Photo Courtesy of Yahoo! News

Senator Johnson also pointed out what appears to be an inconsistency in the law. On the one hand, government funds are not supposed to be spent on providing legal counselor for minors as there is no recognized right to counsel. Yet grants are being paid to organizations to fund pro bono representation for the minors.

Senator Johnson said these issues need to be dealt with, but he did not specify a proposed course of action. He stressed the need for piecemeal legislation, stating that comprehensive reform simply isn’t feasible given our complex, broken immigration system.

The surge of unaccompanied minors is nothing new; this problem has been occurring for many years and DHS was aware of the ongoing need for resources. Many factors are at play; from violent conditions and the lack of employment and educational opportunities in Central America to coyotes who take advantage of lucrative smuggling operations. Smugglers have even gone so far as to publish advertisements stating that minors who come to the United States will be given a “permiso” and allowed to stay in the United States.

Representatives of Homeland Security are working with officials in Central American countries to crack down on smuggling and false advertising campaigns. The road to the United States is treacherous and DHS hopes Central American countries will take responsibility for protecting their own citizens.

Meanwhile, DHS is working with Health and Human Resources as well as many pro bono organizations to ensure proper treatment of minors in DHS custody. Yet in the wake of recent accusations that minors were mistakenly given adult doses of vaccinations, DHS has been receiving increased scrutiny over their actions. 

You can view the committee hearing here: http://www.c-span.org/video/?326977-1/hearing-undocumented-unaccompanied-minor-immigrants. 

 Lauren E. Wallis is an immigration attorney at Petty & Associates, PLLC. She works out of the firm's Dallas office and focuses on SIJS, VAWA, U Visas, Military PIP, and Citizenship.