When our teenage client and her mother came to our office, their primary concern was obtaining some sort of legal status for the young woman. She gets great grades—nearly all A’s. She’s well ahead of her classmates. And as she starts her junior year, she is beginning to make plans for college. Unfortunately, there’s one big problem. She has no legal status in the United States. Having been born in Mexico and then brought illegally into the United States as an infant, our client was raised from infancy in South Carolina—but the South Carolina public university system does not recognize “undocumented” residents as “in state” for tuition purposes, making college tuition nearly three-times as expensive. Furthermore, as an undocumented immigrant, our client is not eligible for federal student aid or loan programs.
Our client and her family had spoken to other immigration law firm—the suggestion was to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. However, the DACA would only allow our client to obtain a work permit, a social security card, and eventually a driver’s license. South Carolina is among the 30 states that do not recognize DACA students as “in state” for tuition purposes.
In our first consultation, we quickly determined that our client was more than likely already an American citizen. Our client’s mother was a natural born citizen, and though our client was born in Mexico, her U.S. citizen mother met the requirements to confercitizenship to her through the somewhat rarely applied Child Citizenship Act of 2000. We advised the family regarding how the law applied and what documentation we would need in order to demonstrate that she qualifies. We filed her application for a certificate of citizenship—form N-600—and a six months later our client is now scheduled for an oath ceremony to swear her allegiance to the United States and receive her certificate of citizenship. She will now be able to go to college as an “in-state” student, and even obtain federal student aid and loan support.
If you have loved one who is undocumented but have a U.S. citizen parent—or even a grandparent—and are interested in finding out if they may already be a citizen through the derivative citizenship laws, contact us today!
About us: Charlotte Immigration Law Firm is a boutique legal practice focusing exclusively in the area of immigration and nationality law. Opened in 2009, the Firm handles a full range of immigration matters, including employment and family based immigration petitions, removal defense, and appeals. Our immigration lawyers in charlotte nc and legal staff help aspiring Americans, their families, and their employers navigate the complexities of U.S. immigration law. We represent our clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR” or “Immigration Court”), the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”), and consular posts around the world.
We provide affordable immigration advice and representation to individuals, families and companies locally and worldwide. As your Immigration Lawyers in Charlotte we strive to construct personalized legal strategies for our clients, and deliver quality advice and competitive services in a trustful, honest, and professional manner. Our Immigration Lawyers Charlotte NC offer clients absolute confidentiality, a rigorous and innovative approach to your legal problems, while the firm’s light structure allows for undivided personal attention and affordable representation.
If you need assistance with any immigration matter, please contact our Immigration Lawyers Charlotte NC. Our Immigration Lawyers Charlotte provide business immigration advice and representation locally and worldwide.
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