Undocumented immigrants in California may apply for COVID-19 relief

Undocumented immigrants in California may apply for COVID-19 relief

If you have any questions related to immigration in San Diego, California, call us today at (619) 746-8879

As of May 18, undocumented immigrants can apply in California for COVID-19 relief. Through a public-private partnership, $125 million dollars were provided to the state to help support illegal immigrants that are not eligible to receive unemployment or stimulus checks from the government.

According to a news article published by Mercury News, this is the “first fund of its kind to support undocumented immigrants”. The fund will be made up of $75 million from the state of California and $50 million from private philanthropic partners.

The application period for benefiting from this fund began on May 18 and will run through June 30 or until the funding is totally spent. Undocumented adults impacted by the virus will be able to receive one-time payments of $500 with a cap of $1,000 per household.

Additionally, applicants must be at least 18 years old and undocumented; be ineligible for federal COVID-19 relief, such as the CARES Act.; and have experienced hardship due to the virus outbreak.

“Nearly one-tenth of California’s workforce is undocumented, and Gov. Gavin Newsom noted in announcing the program that the group is overrepresented in sectors deemed essential in the pandemic, such as healthcare, agriculture and food services and manufacturing”, Mercury News wrote. “He added that undocumented immigrants contributed $2.5 billion in state and local taxes last year, but they cannot benefit directly from state taxes because of their status”, they continued.

What happens if I am on a visitor visa in the USA during the COVID-19 situation?

If you, on the other hand, are not an immigrant but are in the United States on a visitor or non-immigrant visa, you will need to file for an I-539 to ask for an extension of your stay as soon as possible. You may read more about this subject, how to apply and if your visa is eligible on a post we published last week on our blog.

Suspension of entry of immigrants who “present a threat to the economic recovery of the US” 

Additionally, several weeks ago, President Donald Trump suspended the entry of immigrants who present a risk to the economic recovery of the US following the coronavirus outbreak. On April 21 he announced that a 60-day pause was going to enter into force for several Green Card issuances. 

This measure, however, does not affect those who are in the country on a temporary basis, only those who are seeking Green Cards. If you want to read more about this topic, you may do so on our blog.

If you have any questions about your immigration status, about your visa and if you can request help from the California fund for undocumented immigrants because of the coronavirus Covid-19 situation, contact an immigration attorney today. Kannan Law is more than ready to evaluate your situation and point you in the right direction for your benefit.