Since its beginning in 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has provided a way for people who may be undocumented but who came to the U.S. as children – many of whom have lived the U.S. nearly their entire lives, built careers and families in the U.S., and see themselves as Americans –to request deferral of any action on the part of the government in their immigration cases, such as the issuing of a deportation order or a notice to appear before an immigration court.
People may be eligible for DACA status if they
- Were under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012;
- Came to the U.S. before reaching their 16th birthday;
- Have continuously resided in the U.S. since June 15, 2007, up to the present time;
- Were physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, and are present in the U.S. at the time of requesting deferred action;
- Entered the U.S. without inspection before June 15, 2012, or had lawful immigration status that expired as of June 15, 2012;
- Are currently in school, have graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States; and
- Have not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety.
We assist DACA applicants throughout the process of applying and obtaining DACA status. A winning DACA client is awarded temporary work authorization as well as eligibility for a social security number.
