PDF Avoid Immigration Fraud (Scams) OUR LOCATIONS

Avoid Immigration Fraud (Scams)

KEEP IN MIND: ? Only attorneys or non-attorney accredited

representatives working with DOJ recognized agencies may give you legal advice or represent you before the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ? Some individuals provide immigration advice or services illegally and may charge you to submit fraudulent applications to USCIS. They often call themselves immigration consultants or "notarios." Submitting false or inaccurate applications with USCIS on your behalf may result in negative consequences and jeopardize your ability to get an immigration benefit.

IF YOU NEED A PRIVATE ATTORNEY: ? N ew York City Bar Association Legal Referral Panel

212-626-7373 ? American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)



IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD A PRIVATE ATTORNEY: ? Find a free or low-cost immigration legal service

provider at . ? Find an agency recognized by the U.S. Department

of Justice (DOJ). DOJ recognized agencies provide free or low-cost immigration legal services. Find a list of these immigration legal service providers at eoir/ra/raroster.htm.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO AVOID BEING A VICTIM OF UNAUTHORIZED IMMIGRATION SERVICE PROVIDERS: ? avoidscams ?

TO REPORT IMMIGRATION SCAMS OR DENOUNCE IMMIGRATION SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO VICTIMIZED YOU: ? NY County District Attorney's Office, Immigrant

Affairs Program 212-335-3600: to take action against an unlawful service provider. ? NY State Office of the Attorney General Consumer Helpline at 800-771-7755. To try to recover the money you paid. ? N Y State New Americans Hotline: 1 (800) 566-7636. ? Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission by calling 877-FTC-HELP, or you can file a complaint online at .

NOTE: Information provided to the District Attorney's, the Attorney General's offices, and the NY State New Americans Hotline is confidential and not reported to the federal government. These offices assist immigrants regardless of immigration status.

cuny.edu/citizenshipnow

OUR SERVICES

FREE Immigration Services for the People of New York

CUNY Citizenship Now! provides free consultations and application assistance for the case types below. We prioritize appointments and services for members of the CUNY Community ? current students, faculty and staff ? at all our service locations. Our services are open to other members of the public based on capacity of the individual location. There is no minimum income requirement to receive services through CUNY Citizenship Now! All services are FREE!

WE PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THE COMMUNITY WITH: ? Naturalization ? Certificates of Citizenship ? Renewal and Replacement of immigration documents ? Fee Waivers ? Family-Based Petitions ? Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) ? Temporary Protected Status (TPS) ? Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request (FOIA) ? Adjustment of Status ? Consular Processing

Connect with CUNY Citizenship Now!

cuny.edu/citizenshipnow citizenshipnow @CUNYCitizenship @cunycitizenshipnow

OUR LOCATIONS

FULL TIME CENTERS

BRONX

Hostos Community College Immigration Center

718-518-4395

BROOKLYN

Medgar Evers Immigration Center

718-270-6292

MANHATTAN

City College Immigration Center 212-650-6620

CUNY Xpress Immigration Center 646-664-9350

QUEENS

Flushing Immigration Center 718-640-9223

York College Immigration Center 718-262-2983

ALL SERVICES

ARE FREE

Please call for an appointment

To register for events, please call 646-664-9400

PART-TIME LOCATIONS

We offer part-time services at more than 30 New York City Council Member Offices and Affiliated Sites. For contact information, directions and hours of service, visit cuny.edu/citizenshipnow.

Revised 07/15/19

i WHO IS ELIGIBLE

TO PAY IN-STATE TUITION AT CUNY

FREE Immigration Services for the People of New York

cuny.edu/citizenshipnow

CUNY Citizenship Now!

WE ARE THE LARGEST UNIVERSITY LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN THE NATION, PROVIDING FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION LAW SERVICES. We believe in empowering immigrants so that they are in control of their immigration case, a model of legal assistance called pro se. Through this model, our attorneys and paralegals help more than 15,000 individuals each year, all on the path to citizenship. In addition to our one on one services, we have also developed an event model to help large groups with their immigration applications. The model is nationally recognized, has been implemented by other organizations, and has served thousands of immigrants who cannot afford to pay for private attorneys. We also work with our partners to offer Civics classes and workshops about immigrant rights, business creation, and finances.

Our History

We started operations in 1997, offering free citizenship and immigration services to the students, faculty, and staff of the City University of New York (CUNY). At that time, we only had one center at City College and traveled around to the various colleges assisting with naturalization. Today, we operate six full-time immigration centers recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and more than 30 sites in the offices of New York City council members where we provide a variety of immigration law services. Annually, we hold more than 20 community-based events, not including seminars or classes.

Who is Eligible to Pay In-State Tuition at CUNY?

Requirements

All CUNY students, including undocumented students, benefit from a 2001 New York State law that expanded who qualifies for in-state tuition. That law allows anyone to pay in-state tuition if any of the following apply:

? They were enrolled in the City University of New York (CUNY) for the Fall 2001 semester and qualified for in-state tuition at that time.

? They attended a New York State high school for two or more years, graduated, and applied to attend a CUNY institution within five years of receiving a New York State diploma.

? They attended an approved New York State program for the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) or General Educational Development (GED) exam preparation, received the TASC/GED from New York State, and applied to attend a CUNY institution within five years of receiving the New York State TASC/GED. Note that TASC/GED holders who graduated from high school either in the United States or overseas are not eligible for this benefit.

NOTE: If you are an undocumented immigrant and you would like to get in-state tuition, in addition to meeting one of the above criteria, you must file an affidavit (a sworn, written statement signed by you) stating that you will apply to legalize your status as soon as you are eligible. At CUNY colleges, the Admissions Office can provide you with a sample affidavit.

Others Eligible for In-State Tuition

If you do not qualify under the rules described above, you still may qualify for in-state tuition if you have continuously resided in New York State for at least one year immediately preceding the first day of classes and one of the following applies:

? You are a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident, or you have a permanent resident application pending. Note that you must have filed Form I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. It is not sufficient to have solely a pending or approved Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative or Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker.

? You have been granted asylum, withholding of removal, or refugee status.

? You have applied for asylum and have been granted USCIS employment authorization.

? You have applied for or have been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

? You have been granted Deferred Action.

? You have been granted Deferred Enforced Departure.

? Y ou have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

? Y ou are a "late amnesty" applicant, a NACARA applicant (Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act), or a Cuban or humanitarian parolee.

? Y ou are in one of the following nonimmigrant statuses: A, E, G, H-1B, H-1C, H-4 (where the primary status holder is here in H-1B or H-1C status), I, K, L, N, O, R, S, T, U, or V.

Students enrolling at a community college, in any status above could be eligible for in-state tuition if they have resided in New York City for the 6 months immediately preceding the first day of classes and they have a bona fide intent to reside in New York permanently.

For more information about tuition or admission to CUNY, go to cuny.edu and search for "TFM Manual" or call 800-CUNY-YES or 800-286-9937.

Financial Aid for Undocumented Students

As of Fall 2019, anyone who qualifies for in-state tuition, including undocumented immigrants, qualifies for NYS financial aid, including the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) provided that the students meet income and other requirements. To learn more about TAP, go to hesc.dream/. Undocumented students may qualify also for private scholarships, depending on the requirements. Please speak with an admissions counselor for information on scholarships and financial assistance available within CUNY. Applications for all CUNY colleges and programs are available online at cuny.edu, and from the Office of Admission Services by calling 212-997-CUNY (2869).

Undocumented students with outstanding academic achievement records should consider CUNY's Macaulay Honors College. If they meet the in-state tuition requirements described above and they are accepted into the Honors College, they qualify for a full tuition scholarship, a laptop, and a stipend. Honors College students who do not meet the in-state tuition requirements may qualify for limited assistance. For additional information about the Macaulay Honors College please contact the Macaulay Honors College at macaulay.cuny.edu or call 212-729-2900.

TheDream.Us Scholarship

Immigrant high school seniors and high school graduates as well as community college graduates, who meet certain criteria, can apply for a college scholarship through TheDream.Us scholarship fund. The scholarship fund is intended for low income immigrant youth who have applied for or received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and who would otherwise not be able to afford college tuition. The scholarship provides up to $25,000 for two or four-year degrees at colleges that partner with TheDream.Us scholarship fund.

To learn more about the eligibility criteria and to find out which colleges partner with TheDream.Us, visit thedream.us. To get information about the scholarship to attend a CUNY school, visit cuny.edu/thedreamus.

For more information about other scholarships for undocumented students, visit cuny.edu/ dreamershub.

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