Could DREAM ACT Get Approved in 2010?

The Huffington Post reported yesterday that The

will get a vote on the Senate floor next week, a last shot before the November elections to appease Latino voters who are furious that President Obama has not followed through on his pledge to make comprehensive immigration reform a priority.

The site reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said at a press briefing Tuesday afternoon that the immigration reform proposal would come up as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill and that a vote was likely to come on Tuesday of next week.

Information on The DREAM Act can be found at: http://dreamact.info/

The purpose of the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, also called the DREAM Act, is to help those individuals who meet certain requirements, have an opportunity to enlist in the military or go to college and have a path to citizenship which they otherwise would not have without this legislation.

The following is a list of specific requirements one would need in order to qualify for the current version of the DREAM Act:

–  Must have entered the United States before the age of 16 (i.e. 15 and younger)

–  Must have been present in the United States for at least five (5) consecutive years prior to enactment of the bill

–  Must have graduated from a United States high school, or have obtained a GED, or have been accepted into an institution of higher education (i.e. college/university)

–  Must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of application

–  Must have good moral character

If the DREAM Act passes, an undocumented individual meeting those qualifying conditions stated above, would have to do the following:

–  Apply for the DREAM Act (Since the legislation has not yet passed, there are no specific guidelines on how to apply)

–  Once approved and granted Conditional Permanent Residency, the individual would have to do one of the following:

–  Enroll in an institution of higher education in order to pursue a bachelor’s degree or higher degree or

–  Enlist in one of the branches of the United States Military

–  Within 6 years of approval for conditional permanent residency, the individual must have completed at least two (2) years of one of the options outlined in the previous step

–  Once 5 ½ years of the 6 years have passed, the individual will then be able to apply for Legal Permanent Residency (dropping the conditional part) and consequently will be able to apply for United States Citizenship

Those who have already completed at least 2 years of college education towards a bachelor’s degree or higher degree, will still have to wait the 5 ½ years in order to apply for Legal Permanent Residency even though you may have already obtained a degree.  Students who do not complete the requirements will be disqualified.