Young immigrants find unexpected path to US visa

When Angy Rivera, an illegal immigrant, was a young girl in New York City, she was sexually abused by her mother's boyfriend. He was eventually convicted and imprisoned, but only recently did Rivera find out that her cooperation with investigators had qualified her for a special benefit: a visa for victims of serious crimes. Many young illegal immigrants across the country have similarly learned in recent months that they could be eligible for little-known visas that would allow them to put years of worrying about deportation behind them, immigration lawyers said. These discoveries have come about as an unintended consequence of an immigration policy adopted last June by President Barack Obama that allows young illegal immigrants, under certain conditions, to apply for the right to remain in the country temporarily and work. The policy, called deferred action, has spurred hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to seek legal help, often for the first time in their lives. During these consultations, many have learned that they are eligible for other, more permanent, forms of immigration relief, such as special visas for crime victims. More than a dozen immigration lawyers around the country - from private practice, advocacy organizations and university law clinics - said that as many as a quarter of the young immigrants who have consulted them about deferred action since last summer appeared to be eligible for visas or other relief. The unexpected visa eligibility for so many young people highlights a defining facet of illegal immigration and of the debate over immigration reform. Many illegal immigrants are so fearful of contact with the authorities, or thwarted by language and economic barriers, that they live in a kind of isolation that often prevents them from taking advantage of opportunities or services to which they are entitled under the law. Deferred action allows recipients to work legally and live openly without fear of deportation, but it must be renewed after two years, and the program could be canceled by Obama or his successors. As a result, illegal immigrants would generally prefer to obtain a green card or a visa that would open the door to permanent residency. More than 438,000 people have applied for deferred action, and more than 411,000 have been scheduled for fingerprinting and photographs for background checks, the second step in the process. By some estimates, as many as 1.7 million people could be eligible for the reprieve under the program.