Resources Available to Foreign Nationals Affected by Civil Unrest: Part II

Sometimes natural catastrophes and other extreme situations can occur that are beyond your control. These events can affect your USCIS application, petition or immigration status. USCIS cannot anticipate these events, but will do the best to help you get the benefits for which you qualify.

When requested, the following options may be available to people affected by natural catastrophes and other extreme situations:

Extensions & Changes of Status
USCIS recognizes that when affected by a disaster you may, through no fault of your own, fall out of status. When applying for an extension or change in status due to a disaster, USCIS may consider your request if you show how it is directly connected to the disaster.

Fee Waiver
If you are unable to pay the fee for a USCIS service or benefit, you may request that your fee be waived for certain forms by filing a Request for Fee Waiver, Form I-912 (or a written request).

Employment Authorization
As an academic student, you may need to work off-campus if a disaster has affected your ability to support yourself. The disaster may occur in the United States and prevent you from working on-campus or the disaster may occur overseas and affect your economic support. If you can demonstrate that you are from an affected country or region and you have been recommended for such employment by the Designated School Official (DSO), you may be eligible to receive employment authorization when filing the I-765, Application for Employment Authorization.

Document Replacement
If you have lost your USCIS-issued documents through no fault of your own, you may show your need for replacing the documents.

To replace a/n...	You must file a...
Green Card	Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Residence Card, or request interim evidence of permanent residence stamp (I-551 stamp) from a USCIS Field Office
Form I-94	Form I-102, Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival/Departure Record
Employment Authorization Document	Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization

Abandonment or Failure to Respond to a Request for Evidence
If you have not appeared for an interview or submitted evidence, you may show how the disrupting event affected your connection to USCIS and your ability to appear or submit documents as required.

Expedited Processing
If you need USCIS to consider your request for a service or benefit more quickly, you may make that request when filing or after you file.

Now That You Have Your Social Security Number, Don’t Miss Out On Your Tax Refund With EITC!

Now That You Have Your Social Security Number, Don’t Miss Out On Your Tax Refund With EITC!

Dated: Sep 05, 2009

If you recently changed your immigration status from illegal to a legal and you have been paying income taxes in the past you might be entitled to a TAX REFUND!
EITC is Earned Income Tax Credit. It is a refundable federal income tax credit for low- to moderate-income working individuals and families. With EITC, you can pay fewer taxes and sometimes even get a refund from the government. Working individuals and families like you will be able to spend less money paying for taxes and will be able to keep more of the money that you earn.

What is even more exciting is that you can get refunds for past years when you did not even apply for the EITC. For example, if you have been working and paying taxes in the United States for 3 years, but only got your Social Security Number (SSN) this year, you can now apply for the EITC. Not only can you get a tax credit or refund for this year, but you can also get the credit or refund that you would have gotten for the past 3 years.

In order to be eligible for the EITC, you need to meet certain qualifications. You have to have a valid SSN. You have to have been a U.S. citizen or a resident alien the whole year (or if you live abroad, but are married to a U.S. citizen or resident alien, you have to file a joint return). You must have earned income from employment or from self-employment. Your filing status cannot be “married, filing separately”. You cannot be a qualifying child of another person. If you do not have a qualifying child and do not qualify as a dependent of another person, you have to be older than 25, but younger than 65 at the end of the year, and you have to live in the U.S. for more than half the year. Other restrictions may apply.

If you do meet all the qualifications for the EITC, you have to file a claim to get your tax credit or refund for previous years. You have to file the claim within 3 years from when the tax return was originally filed or within 2 years from the time the tax was paid, whichever is later.

Alex Meyerovich - M.C. Law Group, LLP is an immigration lawyer in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Elina Stelman co-authored this press release.

To learn more, visit www.uslegalvisa.com

The information presented is a general information only and should not be construed to be a formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Contact an experienced licensed attorney to discuss circumstances of your case.

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About M.C. Law Group: Full service immigration law firm handling cases in all areas of immigration law. Our attorneys also provide representation in the areas of family, criminal & business/tax law with particular attention to the consequences on our clients' immigration status. For more information please visit us at www.uslegalvisa.com