On June 15, 2012, President Obama signed a memo calling for deferred action for undocumented people who came into the United States as children and have pursued education or military service in the US.  Deferred action means that a person qualifying under the program will no longer be unlawfully present in the US and protects that person from removal.   In order to qualify for the program, an individual must:

1. have entered the US under the age of 16,
2. have resided continuously in the US for at least 5 years prior to June 15, 2012 and have been present in the US on that date,
3. be currently in school, have graduated from school, have obtained a general education development certificate (GED), or be an honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States,
4. have not been convicted of a felony, a significant or several misdemeanors, or otherwise must not pose a threat to national security or public safety,
5. not be older than 31. 

In addition, deferred action must be renewed every two years.
 
It is important that a person interested in applying for Deferred Action consult a qualified, experienced attorney.  An unqualified applicant may be placed in removal proceedings as a result of their application.  Also, failure to renew deferred action may cause it to be revoked in the future, which could threaten a person’s legal status in the US.  
A person granted deferred action will be allowed to work and live legally in the US but does not confer a path to obtaining a green card.  A deferred action recipient may not travel outside the US unless he or she has obtained advanced parole.  

If you or a loved one are interested in Deferred Action, please contact Elsie C. Vasquez today for a consultation at (212) 304-0105 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  Elsie C. Vasquez and her team have significant experience representing deferred action applicants and have had a great deal of success on their behalf.