After months of inter-agency planning, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) division announced Wednesday the release of forms and instructions that will allow childhood arrivals to request deferred action from deportation.
The two forms released – I-821 D and I-765 – offer a means for individuals under 31 years of age as of June 15, 2012 who came to the country before age 16, and who have graduated or are in school, or who have served in the armed forces, to defer removal action for a renewable period of two years. Applicants with felony convictions, significant misdemeanors, or three misdemeanors will not be considered for deferred action.
Lawmakers and government officials have repeatedly warned those applying for deferred action about the risks posed by individuals or businesses offering paid help in navigating the new system. In a statement released Wednesday, DHS cautioned that, “Often, unauthorized practitioners of immigration law may try to take advantage of individuals by charging a fee to submit forms to USCIS, or to provide other services.”
In response to that risk, USCIS has created two websites to offering step-by-step instructions for filing the necessary forms, as well as a site detailing scams targeted at applicants.
