Opinion ID: 76229
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Legalization

Text: Faltas applied for legalization under INA § 245A, 8 U.S.C. § 1255a, enacted as part of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, Pub. L. No. 99-603, 100 Stat. 3359 (1986) (IRCA). IRCA was a major statutory response to the vast tide of illegal immigration that had produced a 'shadow population' of literally millions of undocumented aliens in the United States. McNary, 498 U.S. at 481, 111 S.Ct. at 890. IRCA provided immigration amnesty for certain classes of unlawful residents, coupled with stiffened immigration enforcement. Id. at 481-83, 111 S.Ct. at 891. INA § 245A(a) is one of these amnesty programs. It requires the Attorney General to adjust the status of an applicant to that of an alien lawfully admitted for temporary residence if the alien meets four requirements. These requirements are timely application, continuous unlawful residence, continuous physical presence, and admissibility as an immigrant. INA § 245A(b) provides for 10 the later adjustment of the alien's status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence. To encourage unlawful residents to apply for legalization, applications are confidential and information provided in a legalization application cannot be used as the basis for deportation proceedings. INA § 245A(c)(4), (c)(5). Until a final determination on [a legalization] application has been made, an applicant who has demonstrated prima facie eligibility for legalization cannot be deported, § 245A(e)(2)(A), and is entitled to employment authorization, § 245A(e)(2)(B). The immigration status of an eligible applicant will be adjusted to that of an alien lawfully admitted for temporary residence. INA § 245A(a) (The Attorney General shall adjust the status of an [eligible] alien . . . .) (emphasis added). A temporary resident is entitled to apply for permanent resident status under § 245A(b)(1); is authorized to travel temporarily abroad under § 245A(b)(3)(A); and is entitled to work authorization under § 245A(b)(3)(B). Temporary residents obtain immigration benefits for their immediate families, as well; any spouse and unmarried children of the alien are protected from deportation on certain grounds, and may also obtain work authorization. See § 301 of the Immigration Act of 1990 (1990 Act), Pub. L. No. 101-649, 104 Stat. 4978, 5029 (1990). A limited number of immigrant visas were also made available for these immediate family members, 11 see § 112 of the 1990 Act. The immigration status of a successful applicant under § 245A(b)(1) will be further adjusted to that of a lawful permanent resident. INA § 245A(b)(1) (The Attorney General shall adjust the status of any [eligible] alien to that of a lawful permanent resident) (emphasis added). These aliens, who have twice demonstrated eligibility for the amnesty provisions extended by IRCA, are afforded the most protected status under the immigration laws, and may eventually be eligible for naturalization. See INA § 316; see also Kim v. Ziglar, 276 F.3d 523, 528 (9th Cir. 2001) (noting that the benefits of lawful permanent residence include the right to work, without limitation, in the United States and to reside permanently in the country). Many grounds of exclusion (now inadmissibility) and deportation (now removability) are waivable only for lawful permanent residents or the for the relatives of citizens and lawful permanent residents. See generally INA §§ 212(a) (grounds of inadmissibility), 237(a) (grounds of removability). Until 1996, lawful permanent residents with seven consecutive years of domicile returning from a voluntary departure could be readmitted even if excludable under most grounds of the Act, though this provision was repealed by IIRIRA. See former INA § 212(c), 8 U.S.C. § 1882(c) (repealed September 6, 1996). The INS can waive travel document requirements for lawful permanent residents returning from a temporary 12 absence. See INA § 211(b); 8 C.F.R. § 211.4. INA § 245A(f)(3) requires the Attorney General to establish a single level of administrative appellate review of denials of applications for legalization. Administrative appeal is made to the Administrative Appeals Unit (AAU). 8 C.F.R. § 245a.2(p). Immigration courts do not have jurisdiction to review the denial of an application for legalization. In re Singh, 21 I. & N. Dec. 427, 433 (BIA 1996) (en banc). Limited judicial review of a denial is provided in INA § 245A(f)(4)(A).11 Judicial review is only allowed in the course of reviewing a deportation order. There is no provision for judicial review of a denied application in reviewing an exclusion order. See Espinoza-Gutierrez v. Smith, 94 F.3d 1270, 1278 (9th Cir. 1996).