A court settlement has opened the door for some illegal immigrants who qualified for the 1986 amnesty program but didn't apply to make their case for legal status.

The one-year application process is the result of a settlement of legalization cases brought by Catholic Social Services and the League of United Latin American Citizens in 1987.

Dan Kane, spokesman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said the application period is open for one year for people who entered the country illegally before 1982, and were eligible to apply for legalization during the 1986 program, but didn't for certain specific reasons.

"This is not a new amnesty program," Kane said. "This is a federal court approved settlement agreement."

Kane said fewer than 50,000 people would likely qualify for temporary resident status, which could lead to permanent status. The one-year application period ends May 23, 2005.

For information on the application process: Visit www.uscis.gov or call 800-375-5283.