As immigration becomes a headache for President Joe Biden ahead of elections, the White House announced measures that offer relief to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants living in the country.
The Biden administration informed on Tuesday that, as per the new plan, in the coming months, spouses of some US citizens who are staying in the country without legal status can apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship. This will directly benefit more than half a million immigrants.
An immigrant who has lived in the United States for 10 years as of Monday and is married to a US citizen will qualify for the new rule.
According to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on the proposal on the condition of anonymity, about 50,000 non-citizen children with a parent who is married to a US citizen could also potentially qualify for the same process.
There is no requirement on how long the couple must have been married, and no one becomes eligible after Monday. “That means immigrants who reach that 10-year mark any time after June 17, 2024, will not qualify for the programme,” they said.
Once the application is approved, the qualifying immigrant would have three years to apply for a green card, receive a temporary work permit and be shielded from deportation in the meantime.
Senior administration officials said they anticipate the process will be open for applications by the end of the summer, and fees to apply have yet to be determined.
Biden will speak about his plans at a Tuesday afternoon event at the White House, which will also mark the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, a popular Obama-era directive that offered deportation protections and temporary work permits for young immigrants who lack legal status.
White House officials privately encouraged Democrats in the House, which is in recess this week, to travel back to Washington to attend the announcement.
(With inputs from agencies)
