What is "prucol"

Permanent Residence Under Color of Law (PRUCOL) is not recognized as an immigration status by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); this category was created by the courts and is a public benefits eligibility category. For a person to be residing "under color of law," the USCIS must know of the person’s presence in the U.S., and must provide the person with written assurance that enforcement of deportation is not planned. A person residing under PRUCOL status cannot directly apply for U.S. citizenship or sponsor family members to obtain U.S. Citizenship. A person from any country, who resides in the United States without current legal immigration status including, but not limited to, citizenship, permanent residency, unexpired immigrant visa, is an undocumented person. Though they are not U.S. citizens, they are considered to have the same rights as legal residents ‘for welfare eligibility purposes’.