Improve The Dream brings awareness to Documented Dreamers, children who have grown up in the United States as child dependents of long-term visa holders, but face self-deportation after aging-out. Many Americans are not aware that it is possible for an immigrant child to grow up in the United States with a documented status, but still have no clear path to citizenship. Efforts to protect Dreamers, such as DACA and the proposed Dream Act have historically excluded Documented Dreamers, only because of the *requirement* for applicants to be undocumented.
These forgotten dreamers are children who were brought to the United States as child dependents of small business investors and high-skilled workers, primarily on E2 or H4 visas. Due to some visas, such as the E2 visa, not having a path to citizenship, or other visas having long backlogs for a green card, these young dreamers must "self-deport" and leave the country at 21, even if they have spent all of their lives here.
Solution: Permanently end aging-out and ensure all future action addressing Dreamers allows children who maintained status to qualify if they meet all eligibility criteria, except the *requirement* to be undocumented.