Tuesday, February 5, 2013
CMS’ Megan Helbling addresses the audience at MCIF
On Tuesday morning, 90 people gathered at the Maura Clarke-Ita Ford Center in Bushwick for CMS’ information session on changes to the provisional waiver process, announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in January.
Megan Helbling, Immigration Counselor and Outreach Specialist at CMS, gave a presentation in Spanish on the basic requirements for the provisional waiver for unlawful presence in the U.S.
As of March 4, certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who meet strict requirements can apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver in the U.S. The applicant can then wait in the U.S. for a decision on the waiver before returning to their home country for an interview at a U.S. consulate. The purpose of this change is to reduce the time that U.S. citizens are separated from their immediate relatives (spouses, children, parents) who qualify to apply for immigrant visas.
MCIF Executive Director and CMS Board Secretary Janet Marcic
Following the presentation, Megan took questions from the audience. Those who believed they or their family members qualify for the provisional waiver were referred to Catholic Migration Services for individual consultations.
Click here to read USCIS’ official announcement on changes to the provisional waiver for unlawful presence.
If you would like more information on the changes to the provisional waiver process, or believe you may be eligible to apply, please call CMS’ Brooklyn office at (718) 236-3000 or Queens office at (347) 472-3500.
