Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act of 1966, CL 89-732

You and the Law

By Murray D. Bilfield,

Attorney at Law

1-800-ABOGADO

Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act of 1966, CL 89-732

An Immigrant's Story of Courage

I recently had the honor of speaking with a Cuban refugee who, after 40 years, now seeks to apply for permanent residence status. I was told an amazing story about his life. The client came to the United States as a very young boy in the early 1960's, when the crisis with communist Cuba was reaching its most dangerous period. The client arrived in the United States by himself, sent alone by his parents in an effort to flee Cuba. He was admitted into the United States by visa and passport. It was a number of years before he was finally reunited with the rest of his family in the United States. When the reunion occurred, his family obtained their green cards. However, once his expired, he never renewed. He continued to live in the United States with a green card that expired in his youth, raised a family, and held employment throughout his adult life. The client never sought to obtain permanent residency status and citizenship.

There are probably many others, like this client, who fled Cuba as refugees seeking safety in the United States. Those individuals can immediately apply for permanent resident status

In 1966 the Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act was enacted which permits any national of Cuba or the immediate relative of a Cuban national (including after-acquired spouses and children) to apply for permanent residence in the United States one year after they have been inspected, admitted, or paroled into the country. The spouse or child of the Cuban need not be a native or citizen of Cuba, along as they reside with the Cuban. The act is open-ended and provides no cutoff date for applicants.

What the act means is that if you are a Cuban national, or the undocumented spouse or child of a Cuban national, you may, after one year of your arrival, apply for permanent residency, based upon the special 1966 law. Congress also has passed similar laws which grant permanent residence to nationals of other countries, which include:

• Indo-Chinese Refugee Adjustment Act
• Hungarian Refugee Act
• Cuban-Haitian Adjustment Act
• Nicaraguan Adjustment/Central American Relief Act

If you believe that you may qualify under one of these special laws, contact an immigration attorney to review your particular facts and circumstances.

Please note that this column contains general legal information and is not intended to provide solutions to specific cases. Every case is different and requires individual review by an attorney of your own choosing, licensed in your state.

Editor's Note: Murray D. Bilfield is the managing partner of the Cleveland, Ohio law firm of Bilfield & Associates Co., L.P.A. Specific questions may be directed to him at 1-800-ABOGADO.