Once they left the United States, they were barred from returning for three to 10 years, depending on the country. This discouraged some from completing the process, according to advocates for immigration rights. It creates a new visa category for spouses and minor children of permanent residents who have been waiting for their visas for more than three years. It expands an existing temporary visa to include spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens living abroad who want to wait in the United States while their visas are processed. Finally, the act directs the INS to accept permanent residency applications from members of three class-action suits in which a federal judge ruled that the INS misinterpreted the 1986 law granting amnesty and was wrong when it refused to accept applications from immigrants who took brief trips out of the country.
Immigration law is so complex that many are looking for help.
Sometimes they find answers in the wrong places. Some immigration counselors and lawyers mislead their clients by saying that the act grants amnesty, Strassberger added. The key is to go to someone reputable and not to someone who will tell you what you want. But sometimes it is hard to convince people, Strassberger said. Everyone says there is.