What is The RAC Act and What it Could Mean for Immigrants

Introduced to Congress in March 2017 by Rep. Carlos Curbelo. the RAC Act or the Recognizing America’s Children Act. This bill was introduced as a potential replacement for DACA. The RAC Act can authorize the Department of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of illegal immigrants for an initial five-year period.

What are the Requirements of the RAC Act?

The main purpose of the RAC Act is to assist immigrants in gaining citizenship. However, the requirements under this act are very stringent. RAC requires an immigrant to make a longer commitment to higher education, enroll in the military, or retain gainful employment for a longer period of time.  If an immigrant wants to be eligible for citizenship under this program, he or she must have come to the United States before they were 16 years of age, and they must have lived in the United States since 2012.

If the immigrant is over the age of 18, he or she may be able to apply for conditional permanent resident status. This conditional resident status would be good for five years. However, this option may only be available to those immigrants who have a high school diploma or certificate.  An additional requirement is that the immigrant must be admitted to a college, and have authorization to work in the United States. If an immigrant wishes to extend his or her status after the initial 5 year period, he or she must meet the following requirements:

  • the immigrant must graduate from college,
  • make a minimum three-year commitment in the military,
  • must be gainfully employed for at least four years,

If the immigrant’s extension is granted, the immigrant may be able to apply for lawful permanent resident. Eventually, the immigrant may be eligible for citizenship.

If you have questions about your immigrant status, or have any questions about your rights as an immigrant in the United Stated, you should consult with an experienced attorney.

John Sesini is an experienced immigration attorney with offices in Green Bay and Milwaukee Wisconsin. If you have any questions regarding these matters, please contact the Sesini Law Group, S.C. and obtain your initial consultation.

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