What Would the DREAM Act Do?

What Would the DREAM Act Do?

Millions of undocumented immigrants, known as Dreamers, live in the United States without legal status. The DREAM Act, a set of proposed laws, might address this issue by providing Dreamers with a path to legal status and, eventually, citizenship.

The DREAM Act has never been signed into law since 2001. At least 11 versions of the Dream Act have been introduced in Congress. Some versions have received as many as 48 co-sponsors in the United States Senate and 152 in the United States House of Representatives. Unfortunately, none has become law. The 2010 bill came but fell five votes short of moving forward in the Senate. The most recent version of the DREAM Act was approved by the House of Representatives on March 18, 2021, and might be voted on by the Senate. Read on to learn more about the DREAM Act.

Most people do not realize that the dreamers may need any information they can find before applying. They are undocumented and come from various parts of the world, hoping for a better tomorrow, which is why any advice would be much appreciated. For instance, you may have safety tips for traveling alone, tips for traveling, and even some information on traveling on a budget. Tips for cheap traveling may come in handy for most people as many of them not only have numerous expenses but also may come from a background that needs to keep an eye on every penny being spent. Sometimes it does not matter that the particular person or family is well off in their homeland. Due to the exchange rate, the dollar usually has the upper hand, which means you earn in your currency and spend on dollars.

Federal Legislative Proposals Currently Before Congress

The Dream Act of 2021 (S. 264) and a version of the Dream Act included in an enormous bill known as the Dream and Promise Act of 2021 are both currently before Congress (H.R. 6). Both legislations would give Dreamers a road to citizenship. H.R. 6 would also grant beneficiaries of two humanitarian programs, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), a road to citizenship (DED).

What Would the Dream Act Look Like?

Both versions of the Dream Act would offer current, former, and prospective undocumented high school graduates and GED recipients a path to U.S. citizenship via education, work, or military service. The bills provide a three-step process, which is outlined below.

Step 1: Obtaining Conditional Permanent Residency

Suppose a person has Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or meets all of the following requirements. In that case, they may be able to apply for the conditional permanent resident (CPR) status, which includes work authorization.

  • They migrated to the U.S. as a child.
  • They are presently attending a higher education institution, have graduated high school, or acquired a GED.
  • They are presently enrolled in secondary school or a program that assists students in obtaining a high school diploma or GED.
  • They have not taken part in another person’s persecution.
  • They have never been convicted of a crime.

All these are the basic requirements for an immigrant’s best traveling tip. The bills authorize the secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to grant waivers of certain criminal charges for humanitarian reasons, family unity, or when the waiver is otherwise in the public interest.

Step 2: Obtaining Legal Permanent Residency

Anyone with CPR status which meets one of the following qualifications may earn lawful permanent residence through a green card or the LPR status.

  • Higher education: The individual has earned a degree from a higher education institution or has finished at least two years in good standing in a bachelor’s degree or higher degree program in the United States. This is why tips on student traveling should be advertised so that they can travel back and forth to their homes without any hurdles.
  • Military service: The individual served in the military for at least two years and received an honorable discharge (if discharged).
  • Work: The individual demonstrated employment for at least three years and had employment authorization for at least 75 percent of that time, with exceptions for those enrolled in higher education or technical school.

Individuals who are unable to meet one of these requirements may apply for a “hardship waiver” if they are disabled, have a full-time career, or their removal would cause significant hardship to themselves or a spouse, parent, or child who is a national or lawful permanent resident of the United States.

Step 3: Naturalization

After five years of LPR status, an individual can normally seek to become a U.S. citizen via the normal naturalization process.

Who Stands to Gain from the Dream Act and H.R. 6?

According to the Migration Policy Institute, nearly 2 million Dreamers would be eligible for conditional permanent residence status due to S. 264. 1. Seven million of these are projected to meet the standards required for the conditions on this status to be lifted. If they enroll in school, over one million more Dreamers may be eligible for conditional permanent resident status.

Under H.R. 1, three million Dreamers meet the age and educational requirements for conditional permanent residence status. If they enroll in education, an additional one million Dreamers may be eligible for conditional permanent resident status. Another 400,000 persons satisfy the threshold for legal permanent residence based on their TPS or DED eligibility. If someone is suitable for all these requirements, it would be best to be educated on how to live and travel as they are the basics of building a life in a foreign country. Tips for traveling and also residing abroad should list that every person should have.

DREAM Act VS DACA

It is up to Congress to decide whether or not the DREAM Act becomes law. Meanwhile, Dreamers can apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the sole legal protection undocumented kids have from deportation. The DACA program and the DREAM Act have similar goals of safeguarding Dreamers, but they differ in the level of protection they may provide.

The DREAM Act’s purpose is to provide Dreamers with permanent legal status as well as a path to citizenship. On the other hand, DACA only grants “deferred action,” which applicants must reapply every two years. Safety Tips to travel alone or even an essential checklist of tips for traveling on a plane should be kept in mind at all times. This is in case something goes wrong and you must return to their own country in an emergency.

Deferred Action is not legal status in and of itself; rather, it is a government decision not to initiate removal procedures. Deferred Action has a long tradition in U.S. immigration law of safeguarding immigrants on humanitarian grounds. DACA fits with this history since it shields young undocumented students and employees from being deported from the country where they grew up.

DACA applications are authorized or denied at the discretion of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), the agency in charge of processing immigration petitions.

It Is Past Time for Congress to Pass the Dream Act

Dreamers are citizens of the United States, and a road to citizenship has been long overdue. Passing the Dream Act would be a positive first step toward comprehensive immigration reform, providing immediate certainty and opportunity to hundreds of thousands of Dreamers and their families. They would be able to dream of the bright future they always wanted, and when it finally comes true, they may need the best traveling tips!