The Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness provision is a law that offers a pathway to residency (a green card) for certain Liberian nationals. The law was signed on December 19, 2019, and applications for residency under the provision will be open until December 20, 2020.
In order to be eligible to apply for residency under the LRIF, you must meet the following requirements:
Have been physically present in the United States from November 20, 2014 until the date that you file your application under the LRIF;
Be a national of Liberia;
Be admissible to the United States or eligible for a waiver of inadmissibility; and Complete and file Form I-485 by December 20, 2020.
You may be ineligible for residency under the LRIF if you have convicted of certain crimes or have participated in the persecution of others. You should contact an experienced immigration attorney if you are interested in applying for residency under the LRIF and believe that you may be ineligible based on these criteria.
There are a number of ways that you can prove that you have been physically present in the United States continuously from November 20, 2014 until the date you file your application. Examples include income tax records, birth or death certificates, marriage certificates, bank records, school records, and medical records. Your attorney can help you in gathering the evidence necessary to prove your physical presence. It is important to know that if you were absent from the United States for 180 days or more in the period between November 20, 2014 and the date that you file your application, USCIS will find that you are not eligible for residency under the LRIF.
Another exciting thing about the LRIF is that an applicant’s family members are also eligible for residency. If you have a spouse or unmarried children of any age, they can be included as “derivatives” on your application, meaning they will be granted residency if they are eligible and your application is approved. It is important to know that an applicant’s family members (or “derivatives”) can apply at the same time as the principal applicant or a later time. However, all applications for residency under the LRIF must be received by December 20, 2020.
USCIS may request that you attend an interview before issuing a decision on your application. Any family members included on your application should also be prepared to attend the interview, but they should not make travel plans until after receiving an interview notice from USCIS.
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