DREAM Act Portal Forum - ATTENTION: FAQ FOR NEW MEMBERS

DREAM Act Portal Forum (http://dreamact.info/forum/index.php)

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- - ATTENTION: FAQ FOR NEW MEMBERS (http://dreamact.info/forum/showthread.php?t=4835)

Attention: Faq For New Members

To begin, please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines here: http://dreamact.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=363

Frequently Asked Questions: What every new member should know

1. What exactly is the DREAM Act?

-The DREAM Act is a bill currently in Congress (known as S. 774 in the Senate and HR 1275 in the House of Representatives) that deals specifically with undocumented students that were brought to this country when they were under the age of 16 and have been living and assimilating in the United States for at least 5 years.

As of July 2008, there have been NO new developments with the DREAM Act. It has not passed and is not expected to even be introduced for the remainder of the 110th Congress.

Students are eligible for relief if they have lived in the nation for 5 consecutive years, are 12 years of age or over, and can demonstrate good moral character. The bill would then grant the undocumented student a conditional residency status upon completion of high school or upon obtaining a GED. With this status, the student can now legally work, attend college, or enlist in the United States’ Armed Forces. The student will have to complete at least two years of post-secondary education in an accredited university, community college, or technical/vocational school or finish two years of service the military in six years to obtain permanent residency status. The six years the student maintains conditional residency status will count toward the five year requirement for United States citizenship.

2. What can I do to help?

-Three words: call, call, call. Around the forum, you will find countless call lists to use as guidance. Be calm, polite, and very clear with the reasons why you are calling. A simple “I am calling to ask the Senator/Representative to please support the DREAM Act. Thank you.” will do just fine.

For a more detailed message, look here.

3. I am undocumented. Can I still call my Senators/Representatives?

-Senate and House staffers are not ICE; they cannot find you or deport you. They are merely there to take opinions on legislation for the Congressman/woman they work for. We at the DREAM Act Portal strongly urge each and every one of our members to call in support of the DREAM Act.

4. I don’t have long-distance calling on my home phone. Can I still call?

-There are many options available to you if you do not have long-distance service on your home phone. As all congressional offices (unless they are the ones that are located in the state of the Senator/Representative in question) are in Washington, DC, you will need to have access to some form of long-distance service. Most cell phone providers include long-distance calls in their plans so if you have a cell, you can call the DC offices of Congress members. If you do not have a cell phone, inexpensive phone cards are available at nearly all convenience stores around the nation. If you are really strapped for cash, there are toll-free numbers that will connect you with your Senators and Representative. The numbers are the following:

-Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform:
1-800-882-2005 (English) 1-800-417-7666 (Spanish)

-Congressional Switchboard: 1-800-828-0498
5. How does a bill become a law?

-The congressional website http://clerkkids.house.gov/laws/bill_propose.html has the entire process in a flow chart form with easy to understand descriptions. In order to not overcrowd the forum with repetitive questions, we would strongly advise any new member or a member that is uncertain of the process to please look over this website and others like it to understand the long and arduous process a bill has to go through to become a law.

As of right now, the DREAM Act is currently on hold in the Senate, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promising to bring it back up before the Senate adjourns for recess on Nov. 16.

6. I am undocumented. Can I still attend college/university?
- http://dreamact.info/students/in-state
This link has a list of the states that offer in-state tuition. If you reside in these states, please check with a college admissions adviser or your school’s college adviser about the requirements to receive in-state tuition.

7. Can I receive federal financial aid for post-secondary education even though I am undocumented?

-No, you cannot. At the DREAM Act Portal, we do not condone and will not accept any suggestions on how to obtain any kind of financial aid or benefit in an unlawful and fraudulent way.

8. Where do I post questions, remarks, etc.?

-There are many individual areas for different kinds of topics. For updated news concerning the DREAM Act or Comprehensive Immigration Reform, you can check and post in The Lounge. For suggestions on how to further our efforts or to just look up congressional office numbers and other ways to help, the Taking Action section is the place to go. To discuss things that do not concern the DREAM Act or to just vent about something, go to the Off Topic section. The New Members area is where new members can introduce themselves and share their stories with other forum members and so on and so forth.

9. When DREAM passes, will I be eligible for federal financial aid?

-We will be eligible for some type of federal aid, according to the legislative text.

Quote:

SEC. 11. HIGHER EDUCATION ASSISTANCE.

Notwithstanding any provision of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), with respect to assistance provided under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.), an alien who adjusts status to that of a lawful permanent resident under this Act shall be eligible only for the following assistance under such title:

(1) Student loans under parts B, D, and E of such title IV (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq., 1087a et seq., 1087aa et seq.), subject to the requirements of such parts.

(2) Federal work-study programs under part C of such title IV (42 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.), subject to the requirements of such part.

(3) Services under such title IV (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.), subject to the requirements for such services.

Some forms of aid have been withdrawn from recent versions of DREAM, such as DREAM students' eligibility for Pell grants, etc.

10. Do I have rights as an undocumented worker?
- http://dreamact.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1724
This thread highlights some of the rights undocumented workers have in the United States of America. While we here at the DREAM Act Portal don't condone illegal activity, this thread can help other members who find themselves in the situation in which they are forced to work.

11. How do I get a Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to pay taxes [taxes are ONE way, not the only way however, to establish "good moral character"]?

- http://www.irs.gov/individuals/artic...,00.html#apply

[Follow up questions]
A. When is an ITIN needed?
-An ITIN is needed to pay taxes and to open up a bank account in some banks [check individual bank requirements for more information].

B. Can I use my ITIN as my social security number?
-NO. An ITIN is NOT a social security number, nor is it supposed to be used as a legal employment authorization.

C. Is an ITIN and paying taxes the ONLY way to establish "good moral character"?
-No, good moral character [a requisite to apply for DREAM] can be done in various ways such as the ones listed on this website: http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/...character.html .

12. Any questions?

-For answers to any question that is not listed, feel free to private message any of the site administrators. Thank you for joining the DREAM Act Portal and we hope you can join us in our fight to win the DREAM Act!

Common Abreviations:
-DL: Driver’s license.
-CIR: Comprehensive Immigration Reform
-USCIS: United States Citizenship and Immigration Service
-ICE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
-EAD: Employment Authorization Document
-SSN: Social Security Number
-ITIN: Individual Taxpayer Identification Number
-SSA: Social Security Administration
-DHS: Department of Homeland Security

This is a brilliant FAQ.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ianus

This is a brilliant FAQ.

Thanks :D!

Lock the thread so that it doesnt go 3 pages.:)))

Excelent job on the FAQ!

Great Job Hopeful.

Really great job. Very informative.

This is really good!

thank you for the information it is very helpful :D :D

The -Congressional Switchboard: 1-800-839-5276 number is wrong.

It should be 1 800 828 0498 Please try if that works and fix this.

As we are having a number of new members that are joining DAP, we would like to remind every new member to PLEASE read the FAQ. The mods are trying to keep the number of repetitious questions down to a very minimum as DAP members [and non-members] try to locate call lists and post latest news.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hooper

read what

THIS

jk

J6 is tryin to say to read with full attention anything underlined and in red font typed by him

you should probably update this because undocumented students from Texas do get financial aid. I'm sure it's not easy, but I've heard people have gotten it.