Official Application Instructions from the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services
The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (the
"DREAM Act") was first introduced to Congress in August
2001. The bill proposed to grant conditional permanent residency to
undocumented individuals who arrived in the U.S. as minors,
graduated from U.S. high schools or serve in the U.S. military,
lived continuously in the U.S. for at least five years before the
bill's enactment, and were of good moral character. Once an
individual obtained conditional residency under the act and
satisfied certain other requirements, he or she would be eligible
for permanent residency. Since its introduction, the bill has been
buffeted about by the House and Senate, with detractors claiming
the act would encourage illegal immigration and invite fraud, and
supporters arguing the act would result in myriad social and
economic benefits. (Access the most recent version of the
bill, which
