USCIS approved nearly 366,000 deferred action cases

Today marks the first anniversary of the announcement of the deferred action program for undocumented youth who came to the United States as children. Thanks to President Obama and his administration, the lives of more than 365,000 individuals and their families have taken a positive turn in terms of their immigration status.

More than 539,128 requests for deferred action have been submitted since U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) opened the deadline for initiating the process on August 15, 2012.

According to figures provided by USCIS, this government agency has received a total of 539,128 applications between August 15, 2012 and May 31, 2013. Of that number, USCIS has accepted 520,157 applications for processing and rejected 18,971.

Of the 520,157 applications that USCIS has accepted for processing, 365,237 applications have been approved and 3,816 have been denied.

To date, appointments for biometric services have been scheduled for 507,301 of the cases.

This graph shows the number of cases the USCIS is processing:

Most of the applicants are of Mexican origin and live in California.

The following chart shows the country of origin, where people who have requested deferred action live within the U.S. and the number of requests received and approved so far:

It is important that anyone who is eligible for the deferred action program for undocumented youth who came to the United States as children apply for the benefit.

It is better to have temporary protection from deportation than none at all. In addition, people who are granted deferred action will be able to have a work permit if they demonstrate that they have an economic need. By having a work permit, they will be able to apply for social security and a driver's license.

Do not be afraid to take calculated risks. Be sure to consult with an immigration attorney or a federally accredited representative before beginning the process.

Do not go to notaries, immigration consultants, paper fillers or multi-services.

If you have questions, call my office at 213-537-8472 to schedule a private consultation. The consultation is not free.