While the lawmakers are debating on the immigration reform bill, undocumented immigrants in the United States are now trying to contact lawyers and prepare paperwork. They fail to understand that immigration reform will not be passed immediately and only after the US Congress passes a bill, it will be enacted by the President.
If you are preparing for the reform, you need to be cautious as there are several predatory attorneys who are likely to trick you and charge you a lot of money for nothing. Immigration advocates are warning undocumented immigrants to be aware of such fraudsters. You need to understand that immigration reform is yet to be passed.
According to the current law, undocumented immigrants cannot apply for legal status. If encountered by immigration authorities, such immigrants will be deported from the country. You need to wait until the reform is passed to file applications. Immigration forms that the undocumented immigrants must file to obtain legal status in the country will be made available only after the reform is passed.
Hence, you need to keep yourself away from anyone who offers to fill out paperwork for immigration reform. This does not mean that you must not prepare for the reform. You need to prepare yourself by getting all the required supporting documents. That is because, you will be required to submit several supporting documents to establish that you are eligible for lawful status under the immigration reform legislation.
According to Daniel Sharp, the legal director at the Central American Resource Center, undocumented immigrants must prepare for the reform well in advance. If they start preparing for the reform the day it passes, it will be too late.
Undocumented immigrants can prepare their documents by themselves. They need to be aware of the “notarios” who are well-known for draining people of their cash. California is now cracking down on suspicious websites of these “notarios”.
Immigration reform is President Obama’s top priority, but the bill that the Senate has passed is yet to be introduced in the House. President Obama will sign the reform legislation into law after it is passed by the US Congress. Only after this bill is enacted, immigration forms that the undocumented immigrants must file to become legal residents will be introduced. Until then the undocumented immigrants cannot file any form with the USCIS to obtain legal status.
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