| Question: My mother filed a petition for me some | | | | preference to automatically change. In other words, for |
| years back. I am from the Philippines. She was a | | | | people in your exact situation, you can make an |
| Lawful Permanent Resident at the time. Just last year | | | | election for the preference to stay exactly the same |
| she became a U.S. Citizen. I was sure that now it | | | | as if your mother was still a Lawful Permanent |
| would take faster for me to get my Green Card. | | | | Resident |
| Unfortunately when I called, they told me that the | | | | Question: What exactly does that do? |
| Philippines, unlike the rest of the world has too much of | | | | Answer: It means that you do not have to wait |
| a backlog on that category, and that it would take | | | | another 5 years to get your Green Card. Let's pretend |
| about 5 years longer because my mother became a | | | | that your mother is still a Lawful Permanent Resident. If |
| U.S. Citizen. I think that is so unfair. Is there anything I | | | | the priority date is current now, you can apply right |
| can do? | | | | now for Lawful Permanent Residency without waiting |
| Answer: Yes. The President of the United States has | | | | another 5 years. You will be able to be joined with |
| just signed a bill referred to as the Child Status | | | | your family years earlier. |
| Protection Act. While a large part of the bill deals | | | | Question: It seems as though this law just came out. |
| exclusively with persons who are going to 'age-out' or | | | | My mother filed the petition for me many years ago. |
| turn 21 years old, there is a very specific provision in | | | | Can I still take benefit of this new law? |
| the bill for people in your situation. It is specifically for | | | | Answer: The answer is yes. The law allows you to |
| persons who are the unmarried sons or daughters of | | | | take advantage of this law if the petition for your |
| a Lawful Permanent Resident parent. Once petitioned, | | | | family preference was filed, but a visa has not yet |
| the visa number availability falls under a certain | | | | been issued, or you have not yet adjusted your status. |
| preference category for Lawful Permanent Residents. | | | | Also, the petition for the family preference can be |
| That parent petitions them and at some later point | | | | pending as of now either with the Department of |
| naturalizes and becomes a U.S. Citizen. This now | | | | State or the Department of Justice. It is a very nice |
| moves the petition into a different category where the | | | | law for people especially from the Philippines. |
| wait for most of the rest of the world (other than the | | | | Therefore, anyone who has been waiting years for |
| Philippines) is considerably shorter. | | | | this petition to become current, only to learn that they |
| Question: What exactly does this bill do? | | | | must wait many more years after becoming a U.S. |
| Answer: It gives you the right to write the Attorney | | | | Citizen, should take advantage of this law right away.. |
| General and tell him that you do not want the | | | | |