The Important Documents Needed For Immigration Purposes.
It is vital for one to keep track of all of their documents regardless of their Immigration status in this country. Documents that are in your name and are dated should be available, and copies should be made as an extra precaution. It is very important to have these documents available when one is about to file an application with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services or about to seek a defense in Immigration Court.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals application process is an example of what seemed to be a simple procedure that became complicated. Many encountered difficulties in obtaining documents to prove their identity and their physical presence in this country. However, these issues can be easily dealt with.
Passports; Birth certificates accompanied by photo identification; State issued driver's licenses; State issued identification cards; Any national identity document from country of origin bearing photo and/or fingerprint; and any U.S.-government immigration or other document bearing your name and photograph such as Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) can be used as documents to prove one’s identity.
Obviously not everybody has their passport or any form of photo identification from their original country. However, one can still apply at their respective consulate office for a new passport or consular ID that can be then used as a form of photo identification.
Furthermore, the best way to show physical presence is by providing documents that prove one was physically in this country such as Hospital or Medical records, Tax returns, Employment records, School records, Bank account statements, Lease agreements, and any other receipts or bills that are in one’s name and have a date on them. Also, never throw away expired passports since they would indicate when a visa was issued, or contain dates stamped at the border by Customs. It would be ideal to have documentation proving presence for the past 10 years.
Thus, these documents would be ready to be submitted for an individual applying for naturalization and not waste time having to rummage through their house for files and receipts. This also is true if one is applying for a defense against deportation in Immigration Court in which these documents also help prove physical presence.
The idea of keeping a paper trail scares many who are afraid of making their illegal presence in this country obvious and instead, everything is put under a family member’s name instead. However, this only hinders them if they are ever requested to provide such documentation to qualify for a defense in Immigration Court, or if an Amnesty program is put into effect in the near future that requires actual proof of physical presence.
It is vital to have the following documents prepared so they can be submitted when the time comes:
Original Birth Certificate and a certified translated copy of that Birth Certificate.
Passport or Consular ID
Marriage Certificate to prove marriage to a United States Citizen or Permanent Resident
Birth Certificates of your children if they were born in the United States
State Issued Driver’s Licenses or State ID’s
Copies of any receipts sent from USCIS
Documents with a name and a date to prove physical presence
Copies of all these documents should be made after they have been collected. Having duplicates of these documents can prevent problems in case the originals are ever lost. The best option would be to photo copy these documents so there is a hard copy available and also by scanning them so there is a digital copy available. As for the original documents, make sure to have them stored in a safe place to prevent their destruction. One client nearly lost all his important documents after his house was burned down. A fire safe that is also waterproof would be a smart investment to ensure nothing similar would happen to the original documents in case of a fire or a flood.
In the end, one should start collecting these documents as soon as possible so they can present them to an Immigration Attorney when they meet for a consultation.