May be good idea to seek DACA extension
QDo you advise immigrants with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to apply now to extend their status if it is about to expire? I helped a young woman apply for DACA. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved her application and issued a work permit to her. She renewed it once. Her current permit expires in May 2017. We know that it takes several months for USCIS to issue new permits. With Donald Trump taking office on Jan. 20, we aren’t sure what to do.
Pam Kaizer, Los Angeles This is a tough call. The woman’s only risk is losing the $465 filing fee. The government already has her contact information, so that’s not a concern. By applying to renew her DACA status now, the woman will get her renewal more quickly if Trump continues the program. If he ends the program, she will lose her filing fee. My hope is that the new President will at least allow those with DACA to keep it, even if he stops USCIS from approving new applications and extensions. He could end the program completely, but let's hope for the best. I am a U.S. citizen. I petitioned for my wife in the Dominican Republic in March. I received her forms from the National Visa Center and returned them six weeks ago. How long will it take before they complete the documented
AQreview? When will I next hear about her case? Must I attend her interview in the Dominican Republic? That would be difficult because I work full time and I want to start taking night classes.
Alexander Marte, Queens The NVC should complete its review in the next few weeks. Then, four or five months after you sent in the documents, your wife will receive her interview notice. The U.S. consul shouldn’t require your attendance at the interview. Since you won’t be there to answer questions about the validity of your marriage, it’s best if your wife takes documentation of your relationship to her interview. If you have visited her recently, bring proof that you flew there. Phone records or copies of letters and emails can help as well.
Allan Wernick is an attorney and director of the City University of New York's Citizenship Now! project. Send questions and comments to Allan Wernick, New York Daily News, 7th Fl., 4 New York Plaza, New York, N.Y., 10004 or email to questions@allanwernick.com. Follow him on Twitter @awernick.
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