Case Status Update: Work Permit, Travel Document & I-94 Replacement Approved for Adjustment Applicant; DACA Renewal Approved
Work Permit, Travel Document & Replacement I-94Approved: We approval notices for a work permit, travel document & I-94 Arrival/Departure Record replacement for an adjustment of status applicant. Our client, (hereinafter, Client "X"), is a native and citizen of Cote d'Ivoire. X initially entered the U.S. on May 20, 1995, as a B1 Visitor and has not left the country since. Last August, X married a naturalized U.S. Citizen who was born in France. X's wife filed an I-130 Marriage Petition on his behalf. X concurrently filed for his Green Card along with the work permit and travel document. Now that X's work permit and travel document are approved, he can lawfully work in the Untied States and travel in and out of the country at will while he waits for his marriage petition and Green Card application to be adjudicated. X is now patiently awaiting his Green Card interview.
Why does a person need to file to replace the I-94 Arrival/ Departure Record?
We also had to file for a replacement I-94 for X. Replacement I-94s are necessary if you entered the U.S. prior to 2013 with a nonimmigrant visa and you lost your paper I-94, or if you entered the U.S. since the electronic I-94 system took effect in 2013, but the system cannot locate you.
Pre-2013, the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record was given to you on a small piece of white paper to fill out and show U.S. Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) right before you entered the United States. You are supposed to give back the I-94 to CBP when you depart the country. If you have never departed, then you should have retained your I-94. Your I-94 Record is your proof that you were inspected and admitted to the United States, as opposed to entering the country illegally. So, if you no longer are in possession of the document and it is not in the CBP Electronic I-94 system, you will have to file for a replacement with USCIS and pay the filing fee. Without this document, you will most likely have to file an unlawful presence waiver if you cannot prove to USCIS that you entered the U.S. lawfully and with inspection.
DACA Renewal Approved: Last week we also received an approval for a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Renewal for our Client, (hereinafter "Y"), who is a native and citizen of Mali. Y entered the United States in 2003 with a B2 visitor visa when she was just 15-years-old. This is Y's second successful DACA renewal. Y lives in the Bronx with her boyfriend and 2 young children. After receiving her GED in 2011, Y has been attending school part-time to receive her Bachelor's degree.
**If you need representation in Removal/ Deportation proceedings or with help filing for immigration benefits, contact an experienced immigration attorney at The Shapiro Law Firm today to get started!**
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