| Immigration Amnesty Law – Green Card | | | | window of opportunity. All petitions and |
| The last time we had a law that many considered | | | | applications had to be properly filed and |
| amnesty was in 2000. On December 21, 2000, | | | | approvable when filed. |
| President Clinton signed The Legal Immigration and | | | | “Was there a penalty or fine for applying |
| Family Equity Act of 2000 (LIFE Act) into law. | | | | under the amnesty law?” |
| This law, commonly referred to as the LIFE Act | | | | Yes. everyone who filed for adjustment of |
| or 245(i), allowed certain persons who had an | | | | status using Section 245(i) had to pay a $1,000 |
| immigrant visa immediately available but entered | | | | penalty fee. |
| without inspection (without documents) or | | | | “Were there other special requirements?” |
| otherwise violated their status and thus are | | | | One of the main requirements was proving that |
| ineligible to apply for adjustment of status in the | | | | the applicant was physically present in the U.S. |
| United States, to apply if they pay a $1,000 | | | | during certain periods of time. Therefore, in |
| penalty. | | | | anticipation of a new amnesty law, you should |
| “If a new amnesty law is passed that is the | | | | gather documentation to prove your physical |
| same as the old law, what are the criteria?” | | | | presence in the U.S. Such documentation may |
| To be eligible under the old amnesty law, you | | | | include, but is not limited to, State driver’s |
| must have been: | | | | license; State identification card; hospital record; |
| 1. The beneficiary of a | | | | school transcript; Income tax records; property |
| Form I-130 immigrant visa petition ("Petition for | | | | tax records; religious records; utility bills; rental |
| Alien Relative"), or Form I-140 immigrant visa | | | | receipts; bank statements; employment records; |
| petition ("Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker"), or | | | | etc. |
| Form I-360 ["Petition for an Amerasian Widow(er), | | | | “Can I travel outside the United States?” |
| or Special Immigrant], or Form I-526 ("Petition for | | | | If you are in the country without documentation |
| an Alien Entrepreneur") or | | | | or otherwise out of status, travelling out of the |
| 2. The beneficiary of | | | | United States will trigger an unlawful presence bar |
| an application for labor certification filed with the | | | | which would most likely result in denial of any |
| Department of Labor (DOL) and | | | | future immigration application. Under current law, |
| 3. Been physically | | | | anyone who has been in the U.S. illegally for a |
| present in the United States during a certain time | | | | year or more and then leaves, is barred from |
| frame. | | | | returning for 10 years. |
| “Was there a deadline for filing under the old | | | | “How can I learn more about the immigration |
| amnesty law? | | | | laws? |
| Yes. You must have filed during a very short | | | | |