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Rumors have been circulating for some time now that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program initiated by President Obama will soon come to an end. Today those rumors gained more traction with reports that President Trump and his administration have reached a decision. According to news sources, they will be terminating the program and allowing all current holders of employment authorization under DACA to finish out the validity period on their card.

An official decision has not actually been reached, according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I expect it will happen soon, though.

It was only a matter of time before DACA would be terminated, either by the current administration or the courts. DACA’s later-in-time sister program, DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans), was stopped by the courts from taking effect last year because it was an executive act that granted employment authorization, something which must be granted by congress, not the President. Before the fight could continue in the court system, DAPA was rescinded by President Trump, which was a warning sign for DACA holders.

Even though a decision on DACA has not yet been officially reached by President Trump, DACA holders who have not yet explored other avenues for legal status should act immediately. The re-introduced DREAM Act this year by Senators Durbin and South Carolina’s-own Lindsey Graham would go a long way to helping certain DACA recipients, but it is also a long way from becoming law.

In the last few months I have had several people come to me to initiate the green card application process who were married to U.S. citizens and were also DACA holders. These people have been eligible to obtain a green card, but the costly process has prevented them from following through.

The imminent termination of DACA has caused me to significantly reduce my legal fees and offer more favorable payment plans for people who will be losing DACA or the chance at getting DACA, if they qualify for some other immigration benefit. I cannot change the USCIS fees, but I am hoping to provide some help to these individuals.

If you or someone you know has DACA, please have them contact my office for a free evaluation of any legal options they may have, and significantly reduced legal fees. (843) 804-4844, hello@occam-legal.com, or complete the form at the bottom of this page to request a call.

I will return with a new article soon addressing some other updates in U.S. immigration policy.

Regards,
David Vyborny

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FAQs

Program: A plan or schedule of activities and procedures to be followed to accomplish a specific goal.

We’ve taken our years of experience handling marriage-based green cards and built a clear, understandable, predictable system that we and our clients follow to build and submit what we consider a winning application package. We stick to a set schedule to cover all aspects of building an immigration case, instead of a looser attorney/client relationship that is less structured. We find that using our system keeps our clients accountable and on track to reach milestones and goals and allows us to dedicate the time necessary to each of our clients’ important cases.

You should, if that’s what you want. In fact, we encourage you to speak to other law firms that handle only immigration law to understand their offerings and compare all of your options, since every one of our colleagues in immigration law will handle your case in their own way. We are not replacing the typical law firm, we are offering something different for those that want it. Over the last 10 years of serving clients in our area we’ve worked with all kinds of people and found that a large number of cases could be streamlined through our system, which would allow us to better serve our clients with value and an enjoyable experience.

However, our program is not well suited to complex cases, clients who want on-demand access to their attorney, clients who have difficulty with technology, or clients wanting in-person meetings. In those cases, we can either offer a more traditional attorney/client relationship (of which we have very limited availability) or we can refer you to one of our colleagues.

Our programs are not for everyone, and we don’t want to waste your time if this is not well suited to your case. Once you enter our program, our goal is to file your application package within 30 days, but some people don’t have certain required documents or information and it may take more than 30 days to get them (e.g. birth certificate, divorce decree, valid passport, etc).

That doesn’t mean you are never eligible for our program, it just means we have to get you to a place that you have what you need to be able to start the program. We can do that by taking a seat deposit to secure your future spot in the program and giving you guidance and information on getting the documents you need. By completing the quiz, you get to see if our program is suited to your case (either now or in the near future), or if you would be better off in a more traditional attorney/client relationship. At the end of the quiz, you will be able to schedule a call from our team to discuss your case further.

We do as much of the work for you as we can. We won’t make you fill out endless questionnaires on your own – we find that when our attorney collects your information, they are able to address questions in real time, making the process much simpler for you.

But the success of your application will also depend on the things that only you can do. Your job will be to get, and submit, evidenece that you have or will be creating (e.g. setting up accounts) during the program. That involves scanning and/or saving digital document files and uploading them to our online portal. Besides that, you will just have to attend your scheduled appointments and give us your full attention. Easy, right?

While we wish we could push all of our clients’ cases through the immigration agency faster, no one has control over how fast immigration agencies process green card applications. What we can do, together with you, is control how fast we get your case from the starting line to submission so your applications can get into the government’s process ASAP. The sooner your case is filed, the closer you will be to reaching the milestones and ultimate goal – green card in hand!

In a perfect world we would guarantee that your applications will be approved, but the reality is that no one can guarantee results because the decision to approve your case is in the hands of the Immigration Officer reviewing your case. What we can guarantee is that we will apply all of our years of experience and expertise in immigration law to put together what we consider to be an approvable application package under the law and regulations. If, during the program, we determine that your case is not approvable, we will discuss your options and may be able to offer a partial or full refund of your investment.

As you read this right now, you don’t. We haven’t met yet. But we will have a chance to talk on the phone or by video before we determine if we are a good fit for you and if you are a good fit for us and our program. And if we all decide this is a good fit and you join the program, you will have an orientation call where you will learn more details. We are confident that you will like the program, but if after that call, you change your mind, we will give you a full refund of your investment. That’s because we want you to achieve your goals in the best way that works for you.