Secretary Napolitano (senior official for the Department of Homeland Security) appeared today before the House Judiciary Committee. She testified that the procedures for how to apply for deferred action will be released on August 1, 2012 with applications accepted from August 15, 2012.
At this time, the government has not announced the filing fee for the application.
Individuals interested in applying for deferred action must meet the following criteria:
- Entered the U.S. when under age 16 years old.
- Under age 31 on June 15, 2012
- In the U.S. for the 5 years prior to June 15, 2012
- Have a high school diploma or GED or be enrolled in school to obtain either qualification
- No significant criminal convictions
Whether applicants entered the country on a visa or illegally is not relevant. What matters is how old the applicant was when he/she entered the country.
Because applicants must have been under age 16 years old when they entered the U.S., they very likely will have been enrolled in school, so school records will be very important evidence.
If you do not have a high school diploma or GED and you are not enrolled in school, then you should enrol in school immediately. If you are under 19, go to your local high school. If you are over 19, find a GED program through a community college.