DACA is deferred action for childhood arrivals, which allows individuals who are brought to the United States prior to their 16th birthday, to apply for a deferred action. This deferred action allows certain individuals to obtain employment authorization, which is very important for many of these younger individuals because with employment authorization, it allows you to obtain a social security number and then a driver’s license.
What are requirements for DACA? You have to have been brought here prior to your 16th birthday. You also cannot be in illegal status. You are required to arrive in the United States on or before June 15th, 2007, and you had to be in the United States as of June 15th, 2012. If you meet all those qualifications, you can apply for DACA. One last requirement is that you have to have either a high school degree or its equivalent. It doesn’t mean you have to have completed the GED program, you just have to be enrolled in a GED program.
If you didn’t finish high school, you can still qualify for DACA. Again, what you have to do is be enrolled in a high school equivalency class or GED program. There’s no requirement that you have to have it completed prior to filing for DACA. If you do find yourself in this situation, you are eligible to file for DACA assuming you meet the other requirements.
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 schedule an initial consultation.