Graphic on the President's Immigration Program

Will You Qualify for the President's Program?

President Obama has announced a program to assist those who are present in the United States who have either spouses or children who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  The President will grant those who are eligible for the program deferred action, meaning that he will promise not to start deportation proceedings against them.  Those who are granted deferred action may also be granted legal authority to work in this country.

If you think you are eligible for the President’s program, call me at (571) 551-6069.  We can sit down and discuss your situation.

If you make an appointment to see me, you will first sit down with my of my bilingual staff members to collect your information.  Once we have collected your information, I will review it and discuss whether you are qualified for the program.

There will be a consultation fee of $200.  If you are eligible for the program, that money will be credited against the legal fee for helping you apply for this program.

The legal fee will depend on how difficult your case is. 

If you have all of the documents that are required to apply, such as your birth certificate, your marriage certificate, your children’s birth certificates, proof that your spouse or children are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and proof of presence in the United States for the past five years, the legal fee will be $750.

If you do not have all of your documents, the legal fee will be $1,000.

If you have two or more convictions for misdemeanors, or other problems with your eligibility, the fee will depend on how difficult your case will be.

These fees are in addition to any filing fees required by the Government to apply for the program.

If you need your documents translated, we can translate them for you.  The fees for translations are:

·         $50 for birth certificates

·         $75 per page for all other documents that are type-written

·         $100 per page for all documents that are hand-written.

We can translate from Spanish and French.

By:  William J. Kovatch, Jr.

(703) 837-8832

(571) 551-6069 (ESP)

wkovatch@kovatchlegalservices.com

President to Make Immigration Announcement

It is being reported the President Obama will make a prime time announcement concerning immigration policy on Thursday, November 20.  The announcement is expected to include a program to shield many undocumented aliens already present in the United States from deportation.

The most likely vehicle for this will be an expansion of the deferred action program.  Deferred action is simply a promise from the U.S. Government that it will not deport a person.  A person granted deferred action can apply for work authorization.

At William J. Kovatch, Jr., Attorney at Law, PLLC, we stand ready to assist those who may benefit from the President's announcement.  To make an appointment to determine if you qualify, call us at (703) 837-8832.

En espanol, llame (571) 551-6069.

By:  William J. Kovatch, Jr.
(703) 837-8832
(571) 551-6069 (esp)
wkovatch@kovatchlegalservices.com

Harsh Republican Action May Spur Administrative Response on Immigration

In a move largely seen as pandering to Tea Party activists, House Republicans passed a bill Friday that would increase funding for border security and attempt to send the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors attempting to enter the United States over the southern border back to their home countries expeditiously. House Republicans also took action to undo President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

The move appears to be a purely symbolic one, since the bill has no chance of passing the Democratically controlled Senate. Still, House Republicans have sent a signal that they may not be willing to consider serious immigration reform. 

In a purely political calculation, House Republicans may see a greater threat from more conservative candidates in the primaries than from Democrats in the general election. The stunning primary loss of Eric Cantor has only emphasized this line of thinking. This, House Republivans do not appear to be willing to be seen as supporting anything closer to "amnesty" prior to the November elections. 

The House move, however, may have encouraged the Obama Administration to take drastic measures on its own. Democrats are already facing the prospect of the Republic as maintaining their majority in the House of Representatives. There is a possibility that the Republicans could take the Senate as well. Either way, the chances of legislative action on immigration reform before the end of President Obama's term appear almost non-existent. 

The President may, therefore, take executive action to ease deportations and removals for non-criminal undocumented aliens. One proposal that has been floated has been to grant the parents of DACA recipients deferred action. Another has been to grant deferred action to all undocumented aliens without a criminal record. 

The Administration appears to have anticipated the argument that such a move would be overreaching. Articles have already appeared in the media warning that Republicans may seek to initiate impeacent proceedings if the President takes such action. This could be an attempt to portray Republican resistance as being unreasonable. 

What action may happen is now hard to predict. William J. Kovatch, Jr., Attorney at Law, PLLC will remain on top of decelopments, ready to assist those with immigration issues when any action occurs. 

By:  William J. Kovatch, Jr.

(703) 837-8832

Wkovatch@kovatchlegalservices.com