Concern Voiced Over Clarity of Application Instructions

Immigrant rights advocates have expressed concern that lack of clarity in the instruction sheets for amnesty application forms--which fail to fully reflect the final regulations issued Friday--will cause additional confusion as illegal aliens prepare their applications.

Concerns focus on two paragraphs in the instructions, printed before completion of the regulations.

One paragraph says applicants “must have been continuously physically present in the United States” since Nov. 6, 1986, the date of enactment of the law. No mention is made of a provision in the final regulations that “absences that are brief, casual and innocent will not break the physical presence requirement if made before May 1, 1987.”

Another paragraph says, “All documents must be submitted in the original.” The final regulations, however, allow applications to be filed with certified copies of required identification documents. At the time of the interview, according to the regulations, original documents should also be supplied for viewing by the adjudicator, with the exception of various official records maintained by organizations other than the applicant.

John Physioc, deputy assistant commissioner for legalization in Washington, said Tuesday that the Immigration and Naturalization Service has stopped printing the current version of the instructions and is preparing a revision that will reflect the final regulations.