Can I go to California Community College with I-485 pending?

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The_Journey

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Can I go to a CCC with I-485 pending?

I have lived in CA for more than 4 years with proof (high school transcript).

Can I pay in-state tuition?

If possible, can you post links to the website that shows that I am eligible?

Thank you very much :)
 
You can attend any* US college with a pending I-485 (provided that you're academically qualified to attend, of course).

However, you will need to have one year of living in the same state with legal status (including pending I-485 or the green card, but not including F1/F2/J1/J2) to qualify for in-state tuition.


*there may be particular exceptions such as military school
 
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Thank you very much Jackolantern:

But may I ask which section of the law / code I can cite (for eligibility of attending and in-state tuition for CA) because I am going to be talking to my counselor at a CCC soon.

Thank you very much, this forum has been a lifesaver :)
 
The college's web site probably has a page regarding in-state tuition. The one year of living in the state with legal status is the standard across state-run colleges in all states, with only minor variations such as which types of legal status they will count towards the one year.

Do you have one year of legal status living in California?

If you're worried about eligibility to attend, talk to the international student advisor at the school. Note that with a pending I-485, you won't be attending as an international student -- it's that the international student advisor will have the relevant immigration knowledge to confirm that you meet the immigration requirements to attend.
 
I went to a public California high school for 4 years, my I-485 has been pending over that time.

Does a school transcript count as proof of residency for tuition purposes?
 
I-485 pending for 4 years!? That's a long time for an I-485. That must be an employment-based I-485, as family-based ones rarely take that long. I take it your parent applied for an employment-based GC, and your I-485 is a dependent one linked to your parent? Did your parent already receive a green card? If they got theirs long ago while yours is still pending, you might have bigger problems. Let me know if that's the case and I'll explain.

Does a school transcript count as proof of residency for tuition purposes?
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The school will have their own criteria -- ask them or check their web site. However, I expect a school transcript would be useful but not sufficient by itself. They'll also want to see evidence of having legal status for at least a year (your I-485 and/or EAD), and if your parents were (or still are) supporting you they'll probably want to see evidence of your parent's residence, like utility bills going back 12 months, lease/mortgage, copy of their CA driver's license. Usually no one thing is sufficient, they want to see a collection of evidence.
 
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