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IMMIGRATION REFORM TO BE ON TOP PRIORITY FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA BEFORE DECEMBER 2013: WHAT SHOULD IMMIGRANTS PREPARE TO DO?

Saturday, October 19th, 2013

President Obama is not alone in making immigration reform a top priority. Across the country, local and regional conservative leaders continue to showcase their considerable support for members of Congress who back commonsense and bipartisan reform. (Source: National Immigration Forum)

As the fiscal crisis subsided and the government went back to work this week, President Barack Obama and other leading Democrats were quick to say that an immigration overhaul should be back on the agenda in Congress. (Source: New York Times)

Many Democrats and some Republicans are arguing that passing a broad immigration bill could be a way for Republicans to come back from the bruising they took in the polls during the shutdown. “When the Republican polling numbers are at 20 percent, there’s a pretty strong argument to do something to get those poll numbers up, and immigration is a good way to do that,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.

The effort to repair the immigration system has attracted support across the political spectrum, including from traditional Republican allies like business, agriculture and evangelical Christians. The Senate passed a sweeping bill in June 2013 on a bipartisan vote. But lawmakers on both sides agreed that the window for action on immigration is narrow, most likely limited to the remaining months of this year, before the next fiscal deadlines on January of 2014, or maybe to early next spring in 2014.

WHAT SHOULD IMMIGRANTS PREPARE TO DO? Below are few pointers provided by the experts from the National Immigration Forum and the ILRC (Immigrant Legal Resource Center)Network:

1. HAVE A RELATIVE OR EMPLOYER FILE A PETITION IF YOU QUALIFY BECAUSE CONGRESS WILL ALLOCATE VISAS TO THOSE ALREADY IN LINE. QUALIFYING RELATIVES INCLUDE BROTHER OR SISTER, MOTHER OR FATHER AND SON OR DAUGHTER.
2. KEEP RECORDS OF YOUR PRESENCE IN THE U.S. such as  Checking or Savings Account, Money Remittances (Western Union), Money Order Receipts, Cell Phone or Cable Bills, Credit Card Bills, Utility Bills such as Electric or Gas, Medical Records (doctor’s/hospital bills/children immunization records), Lease, School Records (Transcript of Records), Your Children’s School Records (Report Cards), State Issued driver license or  State ID even if expired or Passports issued by your Country’s Embassy or Consulate in the United States
3. DO NOT LOSE YOUR I-94 ARRIVAL DOCUMENTS
4. GET A PASSPORT FROM YOUR CONSULATE OR EMBASSY AND OBTAIN A CERTIFIED COPY OF YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES (If Married)
5. AVOID USING PHONY NAMES ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS
6. LEARN ENGLISH. Attend English as Second Language (ESL) Class.
7. PAY TAXES. YOU CAN OBTAIN AN INCOME TAX IDENTIFICATION ITIN) NUMBER IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.
8. IF YOU WERE ARRESTED, GET AN ARREST DISPOSITION FROM THE CLERK’S OFFICE OF THE COUNTY WHERE YOU WERE ARRESTED
9. BEWARE OF IMMIGRATION SCAMS
10. SAVE FOR FEES AND PENALTIES (Fees and Penalties could be up to $5,000 or more)

Attorney SID GARBANZOS is a graduate of the City University of New York School of Law and is admitted to practice in New York and Washington, D.C. Practice areas include: Commercial Litigation, Landlord-Tenant, RN & Medical Profession License Defense and Immigration. Please note that this article is written for a gratuitous purpose only and no attorney-client relationship is created in this publication. This article is not, nor intended to be legal advice. The reader should consult with a reputable lawyer based on his or her individual circumstances. Please call Garbanzos Law Firm at (718)725-7324 if you have any questions about this article.

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