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| Help for New Mexico Immigrants |
January 04, 2001 |
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The Legal Immigration and Family Equity Act, or the LIFE Act, was passed by the Congress in December and signed into law by the President just before Christmas.
The law offers legal relief to families to avoid separation for months or even years and embodies true fairness for immigrants.
Reunite Families
There are more than one million spouses and minor children of permanent resident aliens who are on a waiting list for the immediate relatives of permanent residents. They must wait for up to six years for visas to become available. They must endure long and cruel separations from their loved ones -- as they cannot visit the United States while on the waiting list. LIFE grants special temporary visas to those spouses and minor children who have waited for more than 3 years for green cards to become available. They would be allowed to wait in the United States with their husbands or wives and their parents, and work if they choose. When green cards become available, they could adjust their status to that of permanent resident aliens.
Citizens who marry foreigners overseas must wait for up to 18 months before their spouses can join them in the United States while the INS completes paperwork. LIFE allows foreign spouses and minor children to come immediately to the U.S. and stay on temporary visas until the INS has finished green card processing.
Under the LIFE Act, the “grandfather” clause of Section 245(I) is extended from January 14, 1998 until April 30, 2001. This means that people who have filed immigrant visa petitions or labor certifications before April 30, 2001 will be able to apply for a green card, if they are otherwise ineligible for a green card because of an immigration status violation. The person applying for the green card must pay a $1,000 penalty to continue processing in the United States.
GETTING HELP
If you think you or somebody you know may qualify for any of these new immigration benefits, it’s important to discuss your options with an immigration attorney. If you don’t have an immigration attorney, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), can refer you to one in New Mexico. You can call them at 1-800-954-0254. You can also call Congresswoman Wilson’s Albuquerque office at 505-346-6781 for more information about the LIFE Act and AILA certified attorneys in New Mexico.
The Immigration Services Department of Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico is another resource you can draw on for immigration advice and assistance. Catholic Charities of Central New Mexico has been designated by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) since 1979 to counsel legal permanent residents and undocumented individuals in their rights and responsibilities regarding their immigration status in the United States of America. |
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