Everything you NEED to know as a DREAMer applying for deferred deportation

The deferred deportation process is expected to impact up to one million young people.

As announced by the Obama administration in June, select young adults who came to the United States as undocumented children and wish to stay in the country may begin applying for two-year, renewable deferred action permits beginning August 15. Officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Homeland Security held a conference call on Friday to provide more details surrounding the deferred deportation application process. Highlights are below.

USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas said on the call that the process will be entirely funded by application fees, and that the department will hire additional staff to handle the applications depending on the volume received.

All forms will be available at the USCIS site here.

For help understanding the application or raising the required fees go here or here.

Those who apply should:

- be under age 31 as of June 15, 2012

- have arrived in the country before age 16

- have continuously resided in the United States for the last five years

- be present in the United States on June 15, 2012 and on the application date

- be in school, have a high school diploma or GED, or be an honorably discharged veteran of the Armed Forces or Coast Guard

- have no felony convictions, no significant misdemeanors, or no more than three minor misdemeanors

- not be deemed a national security threat

A few facts:

- The time from application to decision will depend on the number of applications received, but officials say it could take several months, and applicants may track the progress of their applications online.

- The fee will be $435 dollars and there will be very few exceptions. Exceptions will be given for those who are severely disabled, homeless, etc., and they must be requested in advance.

- There will be a separate application for work permits, and a work authorization card will be granted to those that are approved.

- There will be a biometric check that will include things like finger-printing, and a background check. These will be conducted after the initial application is received.

- The application will be confidential. USCIS will not use individual information unless the applicant is a convicted criminal or poses a threat to the country, in which case criminal prosecution or deportation is a possibility.

- The information collected on the application form is not for immigration enforcement purposes, and information about family members, etc. will not be shared.

- Those who currently have pending cases under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deferred action through prosecutorial discretion process, may apply to USCIS for deferred action.