The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, also called the DREAM Act, is a bill last introduced into Congress on March 26, 2009. Its purpose is to give undocumented students a chance at becoming permanent residents.
The bill provides students with a path to citizenship regardless of the status passed on to them by their undocumented parents. A previous version of the bill states that if a student entered the U.S. 5 years before the passage of the legislature and was under the age of 16 when they entered the U.S., they would be eligible for a 6-year conditional residency status after completing an associates degree or two years of military service. If at the end of the 6-year period the individual has demonstrated good moral character, he or she could then apply for U.S. citizenship.
More information about the DREAM Act can be found on the DREAM Act Portal.
