8 C.F.R. Subpart C—LIFE Act Amendments Family Unity Provisions
Title 8 - Aliens and Nationality
Source: 66 FR 29673, June 1, 2001, unless otherwise noted.
This Subpart C implements the Family Unity provisions of section 1504 of the LIFE Act Amendments, Public Law 106–554. An alien who is currently in the United States may obtain Family Unity benefits under section 1504 of the LIFE Act Amendments if he or she establishes that: (a) He or she is the spouse or unmarried child under the age of 21 of an eligible alien (as defined under §245a.10) at the time the alien's application for Family Unity benefits is adjudicated and thereafter; (b) He or she entered the United States before December 1, 1988, and resided in the United States on such date; and (c) If applying for Family Unity benefits on or after June 5, 2003, he or she is the spouse or unmarried child under the age of 21 of an alien who has filed a Form I–485 pursuant to this Subpart B. [66 FR 29673, June 1, 2001, as amended at 67 FR 38352, June 4, 2002] The following categories of aliens are ineligible for Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments: (a) An alien who has been convicted of a felony or of three or more misdemeanors in the United States; or (b) An alien who has ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of an individual because of the individual's race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion; or (c) An alien who has been convicted by a final judgment of a particularly serious crime and who is a danger to the community of the United States; or (d) An alien who the Attorney General has serious reasons to believe has committed a serious nonpolitical crime outside the United States before the alien arrived in the United States; or (e) An alien who the Attorney General has reasonable grounds to believe is a danger to the security of the United States. (a) General. An application for Family Unity benefits under section 1504 of the LIFE Act Amendments must be filed on a Form I–817, Application for Family Unity Benefits, with the Missouri Service Center. A Form I–817 must be filed with the correct fee required in §103.7(b)(1) of this chapter and the required supporting documentation. A separate application with appropriate fee and documentation must be filed for each person claiming eligibility. (b) Decision. The Missouri Service Center Director has sole jurisdiction to adjudicate an application for Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments. If the Service finds that additional evidence is required from the alien in order to properly adjudicate the application, the Service shall request such evidence from the alien in writing. The Director will provide the applicant with specific reasons for any decision to deny an application. Denial of an application may not be appealed. An applicant who believes that the grounds for denial have been overcome may submit another application with the appropriate fee and documentation. (c) Referral of denied cases for consideration of issuance of notice to appear. If an application is denied, the case will be referred to the district director with jurisdiction over the alien's place of residence for consideration of whether to issue a notice to appear. After an initial denial, an applicant's case will not be referred for issuance of a notice to appear until 90 days from the date of the initial denial, to allow the alien the opportunity to file a new Form I–817 application in order to attempt to overcome the basis of the denial. However, if the applicant is found not to be eligible for benefits under §245a.32(a), the Service reserves the right to issue a notice to appear at any time after the initial denial. (a) Scope of protection. Nothing in this Subpart C shall be construed to limit the authority of the Service to commence removal proceedings against an applicant for or beneficiary of Family Unity benefit under this Subpart C on any ground of removal. Also, nothing in this Subpart C shall be construed to limit the authority of the Service to take any other enforcement action against such an applicant or beneficiary with respect to any ground of removal not specified in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(4) of this section. Protection from removal under this Subpart C is limited to the grounds of removal specified in: (1) Section 237(a)(1)(A) of the Act (aliens who were inadmissible at the time of entry or adjustment of status), except that the alien may be removed if he or she is inadmissible because of a ground listed in section 212(a)(2) (criminal and related grounds) or in section 212(a)(3) (security and related grounds) of the Act; or (2) Section 237(a)(1)(B) of the Act (aliens present in the United States in violation of the Act or any other law of the United States); (3) Section 237(a)(1)(C) of the Act (aliens who violated their nonimmigrant status or violated the conditions of entry); or (4) Section 237(a)(3)(A) of the Act (aliens who failed to comply with the change of address notification requirements). (b) Duration of protection from removal. When an alien whose application for Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments is approved, he or she will receive protection from removal, commencing with the date of approval of the application. A grant of protection from removal under this section shall be considered effective from the date on which the application was properly filed. (1) In the case of an alien who has been granted Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments based on the principal alien's application for LIFE Legalization, any evidence of protection from removal shall be dated to expire 1 year after the date of approval, or the day before the alien's 21st birthday, whichever comes first. (2) In the case of an alien who has been granted Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments based on the principal alien's adjustment to LPR status pursuant to his or her LIFE Legalization application, any evidence of protection from removal shall be dated to expire 2 years after the date of approval, or the day before the alien's 21st birthday, whichever comes first. (c) Employment authorization. An alien granted Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments is authorized to be employed in the United States. (1) In the case of an alien who has been granted Family Unity benefits based on the principal alien's application for LIFE Legalization, the validity period of the employment authorization document shall be dated to expire 1 year after the date of approval of the Form I–817, or the day before the alien's 21st birthday, whichever comes first. (2) In the case of an alien who has been granted Family Unity benefits based on the principal alien's adjustment to LPR status pursuant to his or her LIFE Legalization application, the validity period of the employment authorization document shall be dated to expire 2 years after the date of approval of the Form I–817, or the day before the alien's 21st birthday, whichever comes first. (d) Period of authorized stay. An alien granted Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments is deemed to have received an authorized period of stay approved by the Attorney General within the scope of section 212(a)(9)(B) of the Act. [66 FR 29673, June 1, 2001, as amended at 67 FR 38352, June 4, 2002] (a) An alien who departs the United States while his or her application for Family Unity benefits is pending will be deemed to have abandoned the application and the application will be denied. (b) An alien granted Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments who intends to travel outside the United States temporarily must apply for advance authorization using Form I–131. The authority to grant an application for advance authorization for an alien granted Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments rests solely with the Service. An alien who is granted advance authorization and returns to the United States in accordance with such authorization, and who is found not to be inadmissible under section 212(a)(2) or (3) of the Act, shall be paroled into the United States. He or she shall be provided the remainder of the protection from removal period previously granted under the Family Unity provisions of the LIFE Act Amendments.
Title 8: Aliens and Nationality
PART 245a—ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS TO THAT OF PERSONS ADMITTED FOR LAWFUL TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS UNDER SECTION 245A OF THE IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT
Subpart C—LIFE Act Amendments Family Unity Provisions
§ 245a.30 Description of program.
§ 245a.31 Eligibility.
§ 245a.32 Ineligible aliens.
§ 245a.33 Filing.
§ 245a.34 Protection from removal, eligibility for employment, and period of authorized stay.
§ 245a.35 Travel outside the United States.
§ 245a.36 [Reserved]
§ 245a.37 Termination of Family Unity Program benefits.
(a) Grounds for termination. The Service may terminate Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments whenever the necessity for the termination comes to the attention of the Service. Such grounds will exist in situations including, but not limited to, those in which:
(1) A determination is made that Family Unity benefits were acquired as the result of fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact;
(2) The beneficiary commits an act or acts which render him or her ineligible for Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments;
(3) The alien, upon whose status Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act were based, fails to apply for LIFE Legalization by June 4, 2003, has his or her LIFE Legalization application denied, or loses his or her LPR status; or
(4) A qualifying relationship to the alien, upon whose status Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments were based, no longer exists.
(b) Notice procedure. Notice of intent to terminate and of the grounds thereof shall be served pursuant to the provisions of §103.5a of this chapter. The alien shall be given 30 days to respond to the notice and may submit to the Service additional evidence in rebuttal. Any final decision of termination shall also be served pursuant to the provisions of §103.5a of this chapter. Nothing in this section shall preclude the Service from commencing removal proceedings prior to termination of Family Unity benefits.
(c) Effect of termination. Termination of Family Unity benefits under the LIFE Act Amendments shall render the alien amenable to removal under any ground specified in section 237 of the Act (including those grounds described in §245a.34(a)). In addition, the alien will no longer be considered to be in a period of stay authorized by the Attorney General as of the date of such termination.
[66 FR 29673, June 1, 2001, as amended at 67 FR 38352, June 4, 2002]
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