A new immigration law passed last December is bringing thousands of people to the local INS office in Denver, but many are standing in the cold in vain.

The Legal Immigration Family Equity Act, or LIFE Act, allows certain illegal immigrants to apply for U.S. immigration benefits, but it's not amnesty for all, as some are led to believe.

For several days, people have gathered at 3 or 4 a.m. to be the first in line at the INS office when it opens at 7 a.m., and the long lines and short tempers have already sparked small fights, 7NEWS reported.

But more confusion is added to the mix when eager applicants learn that the law only applies to illegal immigrants who have immediate family relatives who are already citizens or permanent residents.

Felipe Barron-Chavez is sponsored by his wife Melanie Barron-Chavez.

"After this my husband will be here legally. He won't have to be deported or anything and he'll have a work authorization. So we've waited this long ... and four more hours isn't going to hurt us," Melanie Barron Chavez said while waiting in line.

But some people leave the INS office disappointed.

"A lot of people are thinking this is an amnesty, like what happened in'96, which is totally false. It's just a big rumor out in the community," INS agent Nina Pruneda-Muniz said.

Applicants who want to live permanently in the United States or bring relatives from abroad must file INS Form I-130, which they can get by going to the INS office, by calling or through the INS Web site.

Von Briesch, who stood in line for hours Wednesday, found this out the hard way.

"And I told her, you mean I stand here for three-and-a-half hours in the cold, wind and all that, and I have to send the paper out?," Briesch (pictured, right) told 7NEWS.

Briesch wants to bring her mother over from Vietnam.

"I'm the oldest daughter in the family and my mom is older now, so I'd like to bring her over here so I can take care of her."

The deadline to apply is April 30.

If you are a U.S. citizen you can apply to bring the following relatives to the U.S.

• Wife or husband
• Parents
• Children, regardless of age or marital status
• Brothers and sisters

If you are a legal permanent resident, you can only apply to bring a spouse or unmarried children to the United States.

To Obtain Form I-130

• Call (800) 870-3676
• Download the form by clicking here
• Stop by the INS Service, at 4730 Paris Street in Denver, 80239
• For more on the LIFE act, go to the INS Web site