President Joe Biden has announced a significant step to provide relief to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status in the U.S. The White House revealed that certain spouses of U.S. citizens without legal status will soon be able to apply for permanent residency and, eventually, citizenship. This move is expected to impact a substantial number of immigrants, possibly reaching up to half a million individuals.
To be eligible for this opportunity, an immigrant must have resided in the United States for at least 10 years as of Monday and be married to a U.S. citizen. If approved, the immigrant will have three years to apply for a green card, receive a temporary work permit, and be protected from deportation during this period.
Additionally, around 50,000 noncitizen children with a parent married to a U.S. citizen could also potentially qualify for this process. There is no specific requirement regarding the duration of the marriage, but immigrants must have reached the 10-year residency mark by June 17, 2024, to be eligible.
The application process is expected to open by the end of the summer, with fees yet to be determined. President Biden will discuss these plans at an event at the White House, coinciding with the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which provided deportation protections and work permits for young immigrants without legal status.
In addition to the spouse-related announcement, new regulations will be introduced to facilitate DACA beneficiaries and other young immigrants in qualifying for established work visas. This initiative aims to offer more robust protection compared to the current DACA program, which is facing legal challenges and not accepting new applications.
The policy invoked by President Biden builds upon previous administrations' actions, allowing qualifying immigrants to pursue U.S. permanent residency without leaving the country. This move is seen as fulfilling Biden's commitment to safeguard undocumented immigrants and their American families.
This announcement follows a recent border crackdown by the Biden administration, which has led to a decrease in border encounters between ports of entry. Immigrant-rights groups have raised concerns and legal challenges regarding the directive that effectively halted asylum claims for individuals arriving between designated ports of entry.
