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How to conduct immigration procedures with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service USCIS, who announced the closure of their facilities as part of the measures adopted to minimize the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
Although this measure affects the continuity of some immigration procedures that this entity is carrying out, only services that require physical contact were suspended, that is, the institution's employees will continue working on processes that do not require the displacement of interested parties to their offices.
This has certainly generated multiple doubts in thousands of immigrants regarding their future, but in statements published by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service ICE, they clarify that immigration procedures and processes affected by the measure will be postponed without causing direct harm to the person carrying out the procedure.
In accordance with this latter statement, President Trump's government also indicated that deportations, arrests, and raids against undocumented immigrants in the country are suspended.
What should an immigrant do?
If you are carrying out a procedure with the aforementioned entity, and are pending fingerprinting, interview, or oath taking among others, you will receive a letter notifying you of the new date on which your hearing will be held.
But if your case is that of a tourist who became stranded in the country due to the pandemic and cannot return to your country of origin due to the state of flights or quarantine, affecting the length of stay approved upon your entry to the country, you should conduct immigration procedures and request virtually from USCIS an extension of time so as not to incur illegality and cause future harm to your tourist visa.At Conexión Legal we offer free consultation in immigration; contact us through this channel via the WhatsApp icon or by Scheduling Your Consultation and explore alternatives for your case.In a certain way these statements mean a message of security for all those immigrants who fear exercising their rights, and avoid attending medical facilities due to the possibility of receiving reprisals from the government; only immigrants who have pending civil or criminal cases will be subject to the processes of the law, otherwise, people can attend hospitals and request urgent care in case of symptoms or suspicion of contagion.
The government has also indicated that undocumented immigrants who require medical assistance, may request it without being affected by the Public Charge Law that came into effect on February 24th; although the new law claims that people who use public funds or receive government benefits will be affected when carrying out immigration procedures including the request for residency, this paragraph was temporarily repealed until after the emergency is overcome.
Initially the closure of this entity had been expected until April 1st, but due to the increase in coronavirus cases, with more than 228 thousand cases and 5,369 deaths, the North American country becomes the epicenter of the pandemic, which requires that social isolation measures be intensified and extended for at least 1 more month.
Remember that Conexión Legal works to guarantee the fundamental rights of our clients, do not allow these to be violated especially during the crisis. Contact us and receive free consultation on everything you need to know about your immigration process.
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