Immigration resolutions for 2014

Happy New Year! In my Consulta Migratoria® column this week I offer some recommendations for immigration resolutions for 2014.

This is the column:

The beginning of the year gives us the opportunity to reflect on past achievements and make resolutions to improve our lives in the new year.

Today I propose that you also make the following immigration resolutions in 2014:

1. Do not visit notaries public, immigration consultants, paper fillers or multi-services to obtain immigration legal advice. U.S. law prohibits such persons from giving legal advice. Only licensed attorneys or federally accredited representatives are authorized to give proper advice.

2. Become a U.S. citizen. If you are eligible, do it right away. There are more than 8 million permanent residents who could apply for U.S. citizenship. If you are a citizen, you gain the right to vote, you will be able to get better jobs, and you cannot be deported from the country unless you obtained your U.S. citizenship fraudulently. In addition, you can travel outside the U.S. for as long as you want, without having to worry that you must return to the country to avoid losing your status. Being a citizen allows you to immigrate to the U.S. to other family members more quickly.

3. Helping family members emigrate to the United States. As a U.S. citizen, you may immigrate your parents, spouses, children, and unmarried or married siblings. If your children and siblings are married, their spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 may also immigrate with the relative you are petitioning for.

If you are a U.S. permanent resident you can only petition for your spouse and unmarried children of any age. Apply for your family members as soon as possible because many of these petitions take years to complete.

4. Maintain the best moral conduct. Getting in trouble with the law can hurt your immigration proceedings. For example, permanent residents who commit certain crimes can be deported. Also, people in the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program will lose their immigration status if they are found guilty of two misdemeanors or one felony.

5. Apply for permanent residency as soon as possible if you are eligible. This opens the way to citizenship and to petition for certain family members. There are several ways to obtain permanent residency in the U.S., including family and work petitions, special programs such as NACARA and the U visa, among others.

6. Do not lie on immigration applications. This is grounds for denying you immigration benefits. If you have obtained immigration benefits through fraud, the federal government could take away these benefits and put you in deportation proceedings if they become aware of the fraud you have committed.

7. Doing taxes. It is an excellent way to prove your stay in the U.S. and demonstrate good moral character. If the federal government finds out that you have not filed your taxes when you should have, they can force you to pay the taxes you owe plus interest and penalties.

8. Create and maintain a legal fund for immigration reform or legal defense in immigration court.. I am optimistic. I believe that in the future there will be an immigration reform. You will need money to cover the costs of the paperwork when the time comes.

If you are arrested by immigration authorities, you will have to pay for legal representation, unless you are able to defend yourself or get free or low-cost help from an authorized legal representative.

Follow these tips and you will soon achieve the American dream! Happy 2014!