Rabby Syed, the group’s president, said most of the IRs eligible to apply for a green card cannot comply with the minimum income requirement set by the Department of Homeland Security.
Based on the 2008 Poverty Guidelines, the sponsor with two household members should have an annual income of at least $17,500, he said.
An individual who works in the local private sector is paid the minimum wage rate of $4.05 per hour, he said.
This is why most of the IRs cannot meet the minimum income requirement, he added.
Even if they get a co-sponsor it would still be difficult for the IRs to meet this rule, he added.
According to Syed, the federal fee for petitioning an alien relative is $355, an adjustment to permanent status application costs $930, while the fingerprinting fee amounts to $80, for a total cost of $1,365.
This is on top of the medical examination fee of $800, an estimated attorney’s fee of $1,000, and the estimated $254 airfare to Guam for the applicant and sponsor.
The total cost for each green card applicant will reach over $3,400, Syed said.
Syed is urging all IRs to sign the petition at Winchel’s in Garapan from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday to Monday.
He is also asking the IRs of Freely Associated State citizens to attend the petition signing so they can further discuss their concerns. For more information, call 285-3306.
