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DACA Real-life Story: A DREAMer’s Struggle and Success After DACA

By Patty Johnson-Vazquez|2015-04-24T09:24:04+00:00April 24, 2015|

Christian

A young, DACA-approved DREAMer shares a personal story of how she worked hard against all odds to go to college and achieve her dreams.

“As a child, I was told education is the path to a successful life where you are not living day-by-day and paycheck to paycheck. In school, I was always told I could become anybody I wanted when I grew up. I was told that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.  I can’t recall the first time I was told I was undocumented. It’s like I always knew, although I do recall the feeling that this status brought to me.

As a young girl, I dreamed of someday becoming a police officer or a firefighter. Being undocumented affected me for the first time when I was in high school. When I turned 16 I received my driver’s permit but could not obtain my license. I didn’t know how to explain to my friends that I was not “good enough for a license.” Even though I had obtained my permit and even though I had passed Driver’s Ed, I wasn’t good enough for society. For the first time ever, I understood I couldn’t be whatever I set my mind to. I felt betrayed by my family, by my education, and by the community. I felt alone. My chances of going to the university of my choice were so small, but what hurt the most was knowing that my chances of even attending college were almost impossible. My lifelong dream to get out of poverty was slowly being shot down. Even though I have a learning disability I managed to graduate with double honors from elementary school and ended up in the top 25% of a class of thousand students in high school. Even with all of this, I wasn’t good enough for a college education.

Young Christian with her mother.

Seeing my mother struggle to raise two girls alone in a different country gave me the strength to not give up hope. I knew I had to be careful to whom I disclosed my status. I knew that if I revealed my situation to the wrong person my whole family could be in danger.  Even at school I wasn’t safe.  At times I felt I was living two lives: the one I pretended to have for society and the one I had at home. As I slowly gained trust I opened up to my high school counselor. Not surprisingly, she was more clueless on this subject than me. I was the one that informed her that even with my delicate status I was still eligible to attend college. I couldn’t ask my family for help because they weren’t familiar with the system at all, and society was against me. I did not give up, I pressured my counselor to learn more, and I made connections with other staff members that I thought could help me. Finally with perseverance I was accepted and given scholarships to attend a university.

When I enrolled in college, my undocumented status hit me harder. My admission process was different from other students. As class started I set my goal to be in the top of my class and also to be very involved with extracurricular activities. These goals opened the door for me to be eligible for more scholarships. Many of these scholarships were not renewable for the next year, and therefore I never knew if I would be able to come back the following year.

When President Obama opened up Deferred Action for DREAMers, I didn’t want to apply.  I felt frightened that something could happen to my family. I was afraid they could serve time in prison or get deported. As time progressed and I became a junior in college, I was in need of an internship and a job so I could return the next school year. These events forced me to apply for DACA. Today, I have the authority to work in the United States legally, but I still feel cheated and unsatisfied. It feels horrible not to be good enough for the place I call home. I live day-by-day proving society wrong and I won’t stop until I obtain justice, freedom and liberty for my community in the place I call home.”

If you have questions about Deferred Action or Immigration Reform, feel free to contact VISANOW or get connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Top 3 Immigration Scam Red Flags

By Patty Johnson-Vazquez|2015-04-17T14:31:00+00:00April 17, 2015|

The immigration process unites families with loved ones while offering life-changing opportunities to students and professionals. Unfortunately, there are individuals and companies that exploit people’s situations to reap monetary gains.

Look out for these common immigration scam red flags while applying for a visa.

1. Asking for Money

Don’t get caught by immigration scams that ask for money. Image credit: Barb Leung via Flickr

Scammers often request money from people with a variety of statuses from undocumented immigrants to U.S. citizens. While it’s not a definitive sign of an online scam, it’s important to inquire what the funds will be used for to discern the validity of the request.

Scammers may request money for:

• Additional visa government fees
• Plane tickets prior to filing the visa
• To have a specific amount of money in the bank or cash on-hand before applying for the visa
• Extremely high passport fees
• A sudden and frequent life-changing accident for which they need your help covering the cost (one of the most common scenarios)

Be suspicious of all the requests above when encountered in-person and online. If a friend or one of their family members becomes suddenly ill, has an accident, experiences a death in the family, or has a sick child that needs help, take note of those situations as warning signs.

Educate yourself about the filing fees requested by the U.S. consulate. For example, if your companion is traveling to the U.S. for vacation, they will be using a B-2 visa. The standard filing fee for a U.S. B-2 visitor visa is $160, regardless of the country of origin.    

2. Fake Passports and Visa Documents

Example of a U.S. visa. Image credit: Shujenchang

Some scammers may claim they already have a visa to the United States. They may be even willing to show you a copy of their passport and visa to validate its legitimacy. It is important to know how to identify authentic visas and passports.

Warning signs of fake visas and passports include:

• Inconsistencies in appearance between passport and visa photos
• The photo is provocative or revealing in nature
• Evidence of digital alteration, enhancement, or Photoshop editing
• Pictures not formatted as a 2×2 headshot. Anything showing below the shoulders may not be a legitimate passport or visa.

To understand the government requirements for passport and visa photos, please read the guidelines published on the U.S. Department of State site.

3. Suspicious Immigration Services Located Overseas

There are fraudulent businesses that scam foreign nationals and U.S. citizens in search of immigration help.

For example, there have been reports of a rash of scams directed at tech workers from India. These fraudulent companies claim to help individuals obtain a H-1B visa to legally work in the U.S., but after stealing their money they never deliver on their promise of a visa.

Red flags of suspicious immigration services include:

• Charging fees for application forms
• A guaranteed approval of a B-2 visitor visa
• Unrealistic expedited processing times

These scammers guarantee approvals for B-2 visitor visas. No one can guarantee the approval of a visitor visa and any claim to the contrary is a big sign of an immigration scam. While United States immigration attorneys cannot guarantee approvals for visitor visas, working with one will significantly increase your chances of approval.

Avoid Immigration Scams

The immigration process is a complicated matter that requires time, patience, and a thorough inspection. Scammers often promise fast outcomes and expedited processing times, which give people with unrealistic expectations. If you think you’re a victim of a scam, you can report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

While the internet created unprecedented possibilities for connecting with people from all over the world, it has also left those seeking companionship abroad vulnerable. The best way to avoid becoming a victim of an immigration scam is to stay educated on the process, take note of the warning signs, and work with a reputable immigration attorney.