Goulds, FL Immigration Law Firms & Lawyers

I believe that you can advise your congregant that he may be eligible for Pres. Obama's program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Such is available for individuals who entered the US prior to the age of 16 by June 2007. He has satisfied another of the requirements of having graduated from high school and so should be able to make the application on form I-821D. Following such approval, he would be given an employment authorization card with which he could obtain a Social Security number and work. The program would also allow him two years of deferred status to stay in the US after which there is possibility of further extensions. Due to the limitations of the Lawyers.com Forums, Alan Lee, Esq.'s (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence.

To obtain a change of status to F-2, the applicant must be in valid nonimmigrant status. U.S.C.I.S. does make a few exceptions, but the rule of thumb is that the privilege of change of status requires the maintenance of a current immigration status.Due to the limitations of the Lawyers.com Forums, Alan Lee, Esq.'s (the "Firm") participation in responding to questions posted herein does not constitute legal advice, nor legal representation of the person or entity posting a question. No Attorney/Client relationship is or shall be construed to be created hereby. The information provided herein by the Firm is general, and requires that the poster obtain specific legal advice from an attorney. The poster shall not rely upon the information provided herein as legal advice nor as the basis for making any decisions of legal consequence.  

The answer to your question is probably. However, the answer to the inquiry really depends on where your friend was convicted, the definition of "robbery" in the jurisdiction where he was convicted and your boyfriend's immigration history (e.g. when did he become a resident, how did he become a resident, etc.). The best advice I can provide in a case such as this is to look for a reputable immigration attorney with familiarity on the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. This can e a complicated legal issue to resolve and I wouldn't take generalized advice indicating "don't worry" without having a full and informed explanation of why it will all be good. I would highly advise that your friend obtain advice on travel plans BEFORE leaving the US. Depending on when the conviction occurred, your friend could face significant potential consequences if he were to depart the US with a plan to return on his green card. While he will not be sported upon his return without having an opportunity to appear before an Immigration Judge, he needs to understand just what to expect before he leaves the US. I don't mean to scare you or your friend, but I cannot suggest with any more importance the need to follow up with a licensed and knowledgeable immigration attorney. There very well could be a resolution out there to what would appear to be a potentially large mess. Find a reputable person to assist, we are out there and we are very willing to help if we think we can do so and make it worth your time and expense. Be careful out there, lots of attorneys will ask for a lot and be far short on explanations. Make sue you understand what any attorney will be doing on your behalf BEFORE giving any money to anyone. Good luck.