§ 245a.2 Application for termporary residence.

(a) Application period for temporary residence . (1) An alien who has resided unlawfully in the United States since January 1, 1982, who believes that he or she meets the eligibility requirements of section 245A of the Act must make application within the twelve month period beginning on May 5, 1987 and ending on May 4, 1988, except as provided in the following paragraphs.

(2)(i) [Reserved]

(ii) An alien who is the subject of an Order to Show Cause issued under section 242 of the Act during the period beginning on May 5, 1987 and ending on April 4, 1988 must file an application for adjustment of status to that of a temporary resident prior to the thirty-first day after the issuance of the Order to Show Cause.

(iii) An alien who is the subject of an Order to Show Cause issued under section 242 of the Act during the period beginning on April 5, 1988 and ending on May 4, 1988 must file an application for adjustment of status to that of a temporary resident not later than May 4, 1988.

(iv) An alien, described in paragraphs (a)(2)(i) through (iii) of this section, who fails to file an application for adjustment of status to that of a temporary resident under section 245A(a) of the Act during the respective time period(s), will be statutorily ineligible for such adjustment of status.

(b) Eligibility . The following categories of aliens, who are otherwise eligible to apply for legalization, may file for adjustment to temporary residence status:

(1) An alien (other than an alien who entered as a nonimmigrant) who establishes that he or she entered the United States prior to January 1, 1982, and who has thereafter resided continuously in the United States in an unlawful status, and who has been physically present in the United States from November 6, 1986, until the date of filing the application.

(2) An alien who establishes that he or she entered the United States as a nonimmigrant prior to January 1, 1982, and whose period of authorized admission expired through the passage of time prior to January 1, 1982, and who has thereafter resided continuously in the United States in an unlawful status, and who has been physically present in the United States from November 6, 1986, until the date of filing the application.

(3) An alien who establishes that he or she entered the United States as a nonimmigrant prior to January 1, 1982, and whose unlawful status was known to the Government as of January 1, 1982, and who has thereafter resided continuously in the United States in an unlawful status, and who has been physically present in the United States from November 6, 1986, until the date of filing the application.

(4) An alien described in paragraphs (b) (1) through (3) of this section who was at any time a nonimmigrant exchange visitor (as defined in section 101(a)(15)(J) of the Act), must establish that he or she was not subject to the two-year foreign residence requirements of section 212(e) or has fulfilled that requirement or has received a waiver of such requirements and has resided continuously in the United States in unlawful status since January 1, 1982.

(5) An alien who establishes that he or she was granted voluntary departure, voluntary return, extended voluntary departure or placed in deferred action category by the Service prior to January 1, 1982 and who has thereafter resided continuously in such status in the United States and who has been physically present in the United States from November 6, 1986 until the date of filing the application.

(6) An alien who establishes that he or she was paroled into the United States prior to January 1, 1982, and whose parole status terminated prior to January 1, 1982, and who has thereafter resided continuously in such status in the United States, and who has been physically present in the United States from November 6, 1986, until the date of filing the application.

(7) An alien who establishes that he or she is a Cuban or Haitian Entrant who was physically present in the United States prior to January 1, 1982, and who has thereafter resided continuously in the United States, and who has been physically present in the United States from November 6, 1986, until the date of filing the application, without regard to whether such alien has applied for adjustment of status pursuant to section 202 of the Act.

(8) An alien's eligibility under the categories described in section 245(a)(2)(b) (1) through (7) and (9) through (15) shall not be affected by entries to the United States subsequent to January 1, 1982 that were not documented on Service Form I - 94, Arrival-Departure Record.

(9) An alien who would be otherwise eligible for legalization and who was present in the United States in an unlawful status prior to January 1, 1982, and reentered the United States as a nonimmigrant, such entry being documented on Service Form I - 94, Arrival-Departure Record, in order to return to an unrelinquished unlawful residence.

(10) An alien described in paragraph (b)(9) of this section must receive a waiver of the excludable charge 212(a)(19) as an alien who entered the United States by fraud.

(11) A nonimmigrant who entered the United States for duration of status ("D/S") is one of the following classes, A, A - 1, A - 2, G, G - 1, G - 2, G - 3 or G - 4, whose qualifying employment terminated or who ceased to be recognized by the Department of State as being entitled to such classification prior to January 1, 1982, and who has thereafter continued to reside in the United States in an unlawful status. An alien who was a dependent family member and who may be otherwise eligible for legalization may be considered a member of this class of eligible aliens if the dependent family member was also in A and G status when the principal A or G alien's status terminated or ceased to be recognized by the Department of State.

(12) A nomimmigrant who entered the United States for duration of status ("D/S") in one of the following classes, F, F - 1, or F - 2, who completed a full course of study, including practical training and whose time period if any to depart the United States after completion of study expired prior to January 1, 1982 and who has remained in the United States in an unlawful status since that time. A dependent F - 2 alien otherwise eligible who was admitted into the United States with a specific time period, as opposed to duration of status, documented on Service Form I - 94, Arrival-Departure Record that extended beyond January 1, 1982 is considered eligible if the principal F - 1 alien is found eligible.

(13) An alien who establishes that he or she is a member of the class in the Silva-Levi lawsuit (No. 76 - C - 4268 (N.D. ILL. March 22, 1977)); that is, an alien from an independent country of the Western Hemisphere who was present in the United States prior to March 11, 1977, and was known by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to have a priority date for the issuance of an immigrant visa between July 1, 1968 and December 31, 1976, inclusive, and who was clearly eligible for an immigrant visa.

(14) An alien who filed an asylum application prior to January 1, 1982 and whose application was subsequently denied or whose application has not yet been decided is considered an alien in an unlawful status known to the government.

(15) An alien, otherwise eligible who departed the United States and was paroled into the United States on or before May 1, 1987 in order to return to an unrelinquished unlawful residence.

(c) Ineligible aliens . (1) An alien who has been convicted of a felony, or three or more misdemeanors.

(2) An alien who has assisted in the persecution of any person or persons on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

(3) An alien excludable under the provisions of section 212(a) of the Act whose grounds of excludability may not be waived, pursuant to section 245A(d)(2)(B)(ii) of this Act.

(4) An alien who at any time was a nonimmigrant exchange visitor who is subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement unless the requirement has been satisfied or waived pursuant to the provisions of section 212(e) of the Act who has resided continuously in the United States in an unlawful status since January 1, 1982.

(5) [Reserved]

(6) An alien who is the subject of an Order to Show Cause issued under section 242 of the Act during the period beginning on May 5, 1987 and ending on April 4, 1988 who does not file an application for adjustment of status to that of temporary resident under section 245A(a) of the Act prior to the thirty-first day after issuance of the order.

(7) An alien who is the subject of an Order to Show Cause issued under section 242 of the Act during the period beginning on April 5, 1988 and ending on May 4, 1988 who does not file an application for adjustment of status to that of a temporary resident under section 245A(a) of the Act prior to May 5, 1988.

(8) An alien who was paroled into the United States prior to January 1, 1982 and whose parole status terminated or expired subsequent to January 1, 1982, except an alien who was granted advance parole.

(d) Documentation . Evidence to support an alien's eligibility for the legalization program shall include documents establishing proof of identity, proof of residence, and proof of financial responsibility, as well as photographs, a completed fingerprint card (Form FD - 258), and a completed medical report of examination (Form I - 693). All documentation submitted will be subject to Service verification. Applications submitted with unverifiable documentation may be denied. Failure by an applicant to authorize release to INS of information protected by the Privacy Act and/or related laws in order for INS to adjudicate a claim may result in denial of the benefit sought. Acceptable supporting documents for these three categories are discussed below.

(1) Proof of identity . Evidence to establish identity is listed below in descending order of preference:

(i) Passport;

(ii) Birth certificate;

(iii) Any national identity document from the alien's country of origin bearing photo and fingerprint (e.g., a "cedula" or "cartilla");

(iv) Driver's license or similar document issued by a state if it contains a photo;

(v) Baptismal Record/Marriage Certificate; or

(vi) Affidavits.

(2) Assumed names -- (i) General . In cases where an applicant claims to have met any of the eligibility criteria under an assumed name, the applicant has the burden of proving that the applicant was in fact the person who used that name. The applicant's true identity is established pursuant to the requirements of paragraph (d)(1) of this section. The assumed name must appear in the documentation provided by the applicant to establish eligibility. To meet the requirements of this paragraph documentation must be submitted to prove the commo n identity, i.e., that the assumed name was in fact used by the applicant.

(ii) Proof of common identity . The most persuasive evidence is a document issued in the assumed name which identifies the applicant by photograph, fingerprint or detailed physical description. Other evidence which will be considered are affidavit(s) by a person or persons other than the applicant, made under oath, which identify the affiant by name and address, state the affiant's relationship to the applicant and the basis of the affiant's knowledge of the applicant's use of the assumed name. Affidavits accompanied by a photograph whi ch has been identified by the affiant as the individual known to affiant under the assumed name in question will carry greater weight.

(3) Proof of residence . Evidence to establish proof of continuous residence in the United States during the requisite period of time may consist of any combination of the following:

(i) Past employment records, which may consist of pay stubs, W - 2 Forms, certification of the filing of Federal income tax returns on IRS Form 6166, state verification of the filing of state income tax returns, letters from employer(s) or, if the applicant has been in business for himself or herself, letters from banks and other firms with whom he or she has done business. In all of the above, the name of the alien and the name of the employer or other interested organization must appear on the form or let ter, as well as relevant dates. Letters from employers should be on employer letterhead stationery, if the employer has such stationery, and must include:

(A) Alien's address at the time of employment;

(B) Exact period of employment;

(C) Periods of layoff;

(D) Duties with the company;

(E) Whether or not the information was taken from official company records; and

(F) Where records are located and whether the Service may have access to the records.

If the records are unavailable, an affidavit form-letter stating that the alien's employment records are unavailable and why such records are unavailable may be accepted in lieu of (3)(i)(E) and (3)(i)(F) of this paragraph. This affidavit form-letter shall be signed, attested to by the employer under penalty of perjury, and shall state the employer's willingness to come forward and give testimony if requested.

(ii) Utility bills (gas, electric, phone, etc.), receipts, or letters from companies showing the dates during which the applicant received service are acceptable documentation.

(iii) School records (letters, report cards, etc.) from the schools that the applicant or their children have attended in the United States must show name of school and periods of school attendance.

(iv) Hospital or medical records showing treatment or hospitalization of the applicant or his or her children must show the name of the medical facility or physician and the date(s) of the treatment or hospitalization.

(v) Attestations by churches, unions, or other organizations to the applicant's residence by letter which:

(A) Identifies applicant by name;

(B) Is signed by an official (whose title is shown);

(C) Shows inclusive dates of membership;

(D) States the address where applicant resided during membership period;

(E) Includes the seal of the organization impressed on the letter or the letterhead of the organization, if the organization has letterhead stationery;

(F) Establishes how the author knows the applicant; and

(G) Establishes the origin of the information being attested to.

(vi) Additional documents to support the applicant's claim may include:

(A) Money order receipts for money sent in or out of the country;

(B) Passport entries;

(C) Birth certificates of children born in the United States;

(D) Bank books with dated transactions;

(E) Letters or correspondence between applicant and another person or organization;

(F) Social Security card;

(G) Selective Service card;

(H) Automobile license receipts, title, vehicle registration, etc.;

(I) Deeds, mortgages, contracts to which applicant has been a party;

(J) Tax receipts;

(K) Insurance policies, receipts, or letters; and

(L) Any other relevant document.

(4) Proof of financial responsibility . An applicant for adjustment of status under this part is subject to the provisions of section 212(a)(15) of the Act relating to excludability of aliens likely to become public charges. Generally, the evidence of employment submitted under paragraph (d)(3)(i) of this section will serve to demonstrate the alien's financial responsibility during the documented period(s) of employment. If the alien's period(s) of residence in the United States include significant gaps in employment or if there is reason to believe that the alien may have received public assistance while employed, the alien may be required to prov ide proof that he or she has not received public cash assistance. An applicant for residence who is determined likely to become a public charge and is unable to overcome this determination after application of the special rule will be denied adjustment. The burden of proof to demonstrate the inapplicability of this provision of law lies with the applicant who may provide:

(i) Evidence of a history of employment (i.e., employment letter, W - 2 Forms, income tax returns, etc.);

(ii) Evidence that he/she is self-supporting (i.e., bank statements, stocks, other assets, etc.); or

(iii) Form I - 134, Affidavit of Support, completed by a spouse in behalf of the applicant and/or children of the applicant or a parent in behalf of children which guarantees complete or partial financial support. Acceptance of the affidavit of support shall be extended to other family members where family circumstances warrant.

(5) Burden of proof . An alien applying for adjustment of status under this part has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she has resided in the United States for the requisite periods, is admissible to the United States under the provisions of section 245a of the Act, and is otherwise eligible for adjustment of status under this section. The inference to be drawn from the documentation provided shall depend on the extent of the documentation, its credibility and amenability to verification as se t forth in paragraph (d) of this section.

(6) Evidence . The sufficiency of all evidence produced by the applicant will be judged according to its probative value and credibility. To meet his or her burden of proof, an applicant must provide evidence of eligibility apart from his or her own testimony. In judging the probative value and credibility of the evidence submitted, greater weight will be given to the submission of original documentation.