Immigration Benefits For Military Personnel
31 May 2016Author: New York Immigration Lawyer Alena Shautsova
Generally speaking, it is not easy to qualify for immigration benefits in the United States. To promote family unity and, perhaps, to thank those who put their lives in danger for the safety of all of us, the government provides certain exceptions and benefits to current and former military members and their families.
First, the U.S. government provides an opportunity for an expedited citizenship for those military members who are on active duty and deployed. Second, those who qualify for MAVNI program and are holding non-immigrant visas ,and would like to serve in the U.S. military, may find a path to the U.S. citizenship without the need of being sponsored by an employer or a family member.
Also, military members may successfully apply for prosecutorial discretion. A very important benefit that has been recently expanded is that members of the military members may use parole in place program. Parole in place allows to “fix” the illegal entry issue and helps to obtain a green card without having to leave the U.S.
Finally, recently the government announced parole program for Filipino members of the U.S. veterans of World War II. Under the policy, certain family members of Filipino World War II veterans may be eligible to receive a discretionary grant of parole to come to the United States before their visa becomes available. In limited cases, certain eligible relatives will be able to seek parole on their own behalf when their Filipino World War II veteran and his or her spouse are both deceased. Under the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program, USCIS will review each case individually to determine whether authorizing parole is appropriate. When each individual arrives at a U.S. port of entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will also review each case to determine whether to parole the individual.
Often, U.S. military will provide full range of services, including immigration consultants to its members. It is always a good idea, however, to consult with a private Immigration attorney if one is faced with an Immigration challenges.