Asian Law Caucus, News Report, Posted: Jul 18, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Asian American Center for Advancing Justice is warning of potential immigration fraud by immigration consultants, also known as "notarios," who claim they can assist applicants with the deferred action process to undocumented youth.

"Unfortunately, we know that when immigration relief becomes available, dishonest individuals may take advantage of immigrants' vulnerable situations," said Mee Moua, president and executive director of AAJC. "Individuals should be careful about where they seek advice with the deferred action process."

Legal advice and representation can only be given by licensed attorneys and accredited representatives. Given that the process to apply is not yet available, immigration advocates and community-based organizations are warning immigrant communities to be wary of those who advertise that they can help individuals for a fee before the application process is even available.

The anticipated date for the application process on deferred action is expected August 14. Until then immigration advocates are urging individuals to start gathering their documents in preparation for the application process, including school records, medical records, passports, birth certificates and financial records.

For individuals with a criminal history, immigration advocates strongly advise speaking with an experienced immigration attorney before attempting to file for deferred action.

The eligibility requirements for deferred action are as follows:
* Have come to the United States under the age of 16;
* Have continuously resided in the United States for 5 years preceding the date of President Obama's announcement (June 15, 2012) and are present in the United States;
* Currently be in school, have graduated high school, or obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
* Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;
* Be 30 years of age or younger.

Immigrants who think they may qualify for such relief can contact the Los Angeles-based APALC for questions at (888) 349-9695 and info@apalc.org. In addition, APALC can provide assistance in the following languages:

Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) - (800) 520-2356

Khmer - (800) 867-3126

Korean - (800) 867-3126

Thai - (800) 914-9583

Vietnamese - (800) 267-7395

Immigrants can also contact the San Francisco-based Asian Law Caucus at (415) 896-1701 and alc@asianlawcaucus.org.

The U.S. government has established a centralized system to collect complaints on the unauthorized practice of law. To file a complaint on the unauthorized practice of law contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).