Legal Question in Immigration Law in California

I'm assuming your friend is not an immigration attorney so it's amazing that they may actually got this one right. Yes, unfortunately the waiver for the fraud is not going to apply to you as the parent of a US citizen. It applies to a spouse or son or daughter of a citizen or permanent resident alien.

However, just because you applied for late amnesty and were denied, it does not necessarily mean that it was a "fraudulent" application. That would have to be an explicit finding by USCIS in the future that you committed fraud. Many people's amnesty applications were denied simply due to lack of proof. So, I would not count yourself out yet because of possible fraud. However, you would have a problem adjusting your status three years from now (when son is 21), if you came here illegally from Peru. You would have to go back to Lima and apply for your permanent residence there and that will trigger the 10-year bar from being admissible to the US. At that time, you'd have to show extreme hardship to your son and possibly other US citizen children or your wife before you could be approved.

Larry L. Doan, Esq.

www.GuruImmigration.com

http://guruimmigration.wordpress.com (blog)

Note: The above response is provided for legal information only and should not be construed as legal advice, nor to create an attorney-client relationship, which can only be established through payment of consideration. We do not offer free advice except for the information provided herein on LawGuru which has been screened. If follow-up advice on your specific situation is desired, we offer a paid consultation in person if you are in the Los Angeles area, or by phone or email. Please visit our website www.GuruImmigration.com for more details.

Your friend is right that your son's petition can't help you, but that doesn't mean that no help's available. If your dad were married to a U.S. citizen, that would help, waiver would be needed though for fraud and unlawful presence. Being a model citizen now helps that, but may not be dispositive. Still, it couldn't hurt.

There might also be a couple of other ways he could straighten his status out too, but I'd need to know more.

I would be happy to help you out if you contact me offline. Visit me at http://www.yardum-hunter.com, phone at 818 609 1953 or email me at [email protected]. Until then, please don't rely on this as legal advice.

Alice M. Yardum-Hunter, Attorney at Law, Certified Specialist, Immigration & Nationality Law, State Bar of CA, Bd. of Legal Specialization

A �Super Lawyer� 2004 � 2009, Los Angeles Magazine

I'd need to know more information, such as how did you arrive to the U.S.? Was it by plane, and if so, did you arrive with your own passport and still have the I-94? I would be happy to assist you if you contact me off line at 415-387-1364 or email me at [email protected].