Immigration Options
![Immigration Options]()
Learn about the different options you may have to protect yourself as an immigrant. This hub is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.
Learn about the different options you may have to protect yourself as an immigrant. This hub is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.
Understand potential immigration options for yourself and your family, depending on your specific circumstances. Click on a topic below to learn more. Even if none of these options apply to you, don’t forget you still have rights.
TPS is a temporary immigration status provided to nationals of certain countries experiencing problems that make it difficult or unsafe for their nationals to be deported there. TPS has been a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of individuals already in the United States when problems in a home country make their departure or deportation untenable.
If this doesn’t apply to you, click here to explore more options.
On January 17, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision, finding major parts of the Biden Administration’s DACA rule to be unlawful. However, the court also limited the impact of its ruling in key ways. The court kept the stay pending appeal, meaning current DACA recipients – across the U.S. – can still renew their DACA while the case makes its way through the courts. The court limited its decision to Texas, and sent the case back to the district court with an instruction to sever the forbearance from deportation provision from the work authorization, meaning that no more work permits would be granted (only protection from deportation).
The mandate effectuating this ruling was issued on March 11. As a result, there is currently no legal limitation on the processing of pending or first-time requests in all 50 states, including Texas. In Texas, DACA will now only provide protection from deportation but not work authorization and driver’s licenses.
For current DACA recipients, USCIS encourages renewals to be filed between 120 and 150 days prior to the expiration of your DACA. However, USCIS will accept your application before 150 days but may not process it until 150 days before your DACA expires. If your DACA expires in the next few months, it is a good practice to renew as soon as possible, though it is always best to check with an attorney about your particular situation.
If you are interested in filing a first-time request for DACA, we recommend that you exercise extra caution and consult with an immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative before filing your request to assess your personal risks before you move forward with an initial DACA request.
The current DACA program is subject to change based on court orders or federal government policy changes. Please check this website and the Guidance for DACA recipients and legal practitioners are available here for updates.
For information about how to renew your DACA if you currently have it, check out these resources from our partners at United We Dream.
To speak with an attorney about whether you should apply for DACA renewal at this time, enter your zip code on the Find Legal Help page to find a legal service provider near you.
SOURCE: National Immigration Law Center
If this doesn’t apply to you, click here to explore more options.
U.S. citizens and legal residents (green card holders) can help a family member get a green card and stay in the U.S. legally. Not every family member is eligible. Some people can get a green card soon, and others have to wait for years. Some people can wait in the U.S. for the process, but others have to leave for an interview at a consulate. There are special rules for U.S. military families.
If this doesn’t apply to you, click here to explore more options.
Immigrants who are victims of certain crimes may qualify for a “U Visa” or a “T Visa.” These visas make it safer for immigrants without documents to call the police.
In many places, police collaborate with immigration enforcement such as ICE. People are afraid to call the police, because they are afraid of being deported. The U and T Visas are for people who share information about a crime with the police. People who qualify for a U or T Visa can get a work permit and have permission to stay in the U.S. After that, they can apply for legal residency (a green card). A close family member who qualifies for a U or T Visa might be able to help other family members get one too.
If this is an emergency, call 911. If you are afraid to call the police, get a lawyer or advocate to help you. Enter your zip code on the Find Legal Help page to find a legal service provider near you or learn more about interacting with law enforcement on the Know Your Rights page.
If this doesn’t apply to you, click here to explore more options.
Sometimes an employer or boss who is treating the workers badly is also breaking the law. Employers are not allowed to touch workers abusively or sexually, keep workers locked up, pay little or no money, make workers have sex, trick them into coming to the U.S. by lying about a job, threaten or force workers to lie to investigators about work conditions or records, threaten to call immigration, engage in blackmail, visa fraud, and more. The “U Visa” and “T Visa” protect and help immigrants who have been abused at work.
Immigrants who are abused at work are sometimes afraid to report the problem because they are afraid of being deported. The U and T Visas protect victims who have information for the police. People who qualify for a U or T Visa can get a work permit and have permission to stay in the U.S. After that, they can apply for legal residency (a green card). A close family member who qualifies for a U or T Visa might be able to help other family members get one too.
For more information about rights at work, click here.
If this doesn’t apply to you, click here to explore more options.
VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) is for immigrants who are harmed or threatened by a family member who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident (green card holder). The abuse can be physical or emotional. VAWA can help people stay legally in the U.S., and not have to stay with the abuser.
People who get VAWA can have a work permit, and apply later for legal residency (green card).
If a relative, spouse, or partner is hurting you, call 1-800-799-7233. It is a nonprofit hotline that helps people. Someone can talk to you in your language, answer your questions, and keep your information private.
If this doesn’t apply to you, click here to explore more options.
“Asylum” is protection for people who are afraid to return to their home country. Asylum helps people who are harmed or threatened because of who they are or what they believe. In some cases, asylum could protect a woman because she does not want to follow the rules for women in her country. (For example, having a traditional gender role or partner, forced marriage, forced sterilization or abortion, and genital mutilation.) Women who were abused by a partner or spouse in their home country sometimes qualify for asylum. It is harder to apply for asylum after living in the U.S. for more than one year.
People who get asylum can have a work permit and apply for legal residency (green card).
If this doesn’t apply to you, click here to explore more options.
This site does not have all the information and all the ways to stay here legally. And not everyone qualifies for permission to stay legally in the U.S. Enter your zip code on the Find Legal Help page to find a legal service provider near you and learn more about your options.
Even if these options do not help you, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family:
If this doesn’t apply to you, click here to explore more options.
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