Hundreds of thousands of immigrants had reason to celebrate when President Joe Biden unveiled a plan to extend legal status to the spouses of U.S. citizens, but inevitably, some were left out.
- Hundreds of thousands of immigrants had reason to celebrate when President Joe Biden unveiled a plan to extend legal status to the spouses of U.S. citizens, but inevitably, some were left out.
- WHO WILL BE ELIGIBLE?
- IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR DACA RECIPIENTS
- The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program launched by Barack Obama, which has protected hundreds of thousands of immigrants who arrived in the United States as children from deportation, required applicants to have been in the United States on June 15, 2012, and to have continuously resided in the country for the previous five years.
The U.S. president announced the action, which in the coming months will allow spouses of U.S. citizens without legal status to apply for legal residency and, eventually, citizenship without having to leave the country for up to 10 years. Around 500,000 immigrants could benefit, according to senior government officials.
WHO WILL BE ELIGIBLE?
Immigrants who, as of June 17, 2024, have resided in the United States for 10 years or more and are legally married to a U.S. citizen, while also meeting all other applicable legal requirements. On average, those eligible for this process have resided in the United States for 23 years, according to the government.
This action will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens and around 50,000 non-citizen children under 21 whose parents are married to a U.S. citizen.
Those who apply and have their application approved will have a three-year period to apply for permanent residency. They will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and be eligible for a work permit for up to three years. This will apply to all eligible married couples.
All immigration benefits, even those as broad as the offer made by Biden in this election year, have deadlines and other eligibility requirements. In September, the Democratic president expanded temporary status for nearly 500,000 Venezuelans living in the United States as of July 31, 2023. Those who arrived a day later were not so fortunate.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR DACA RECIPIENTS
The immigration plan will also allow recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program who have obtained higher education degrees and are seeking work in their field to receive work visas more quickly.
In Congress, a group of Democratic lawmakers known as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has advocated for a policy that would allow graduates of U.S. universities who arrived in the country without authorization as children to also qualify for work visas.
The White House was set to commemorate Tuesday afternoon the 12th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, created by then-President Barack Obama to protect young immigrants lacking legal status, often known as “Dreamers.”
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program launched by Barack Obama, which has protected hundreds of thousands of immigrants who arrived in the United States as children from deportation, required applicants to have been in the United States on June 15, 2012, and to have continuously resided in the country for the previous five years.
Around 1.1 million spouses without authorization in the country are married to U.S. citizens, according to the advocacy group FWD.us, meaning hundreds of thousands of people will not be able to obtain this benefit because they have been in the United States for less than 10 years.
Overall, immigrant rights advocates marveled at the scope of Tuesday’s announcement, while Biden’s critics called it a terribly misguided gift.
Around 50,000 non-citizen children with parents married to a U.S. citizen could also be eligible for this benefit, according to senior government officials who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.
Biden also announced new rules that would make it easier for some DACA recipients and other young immigrants to meet the requirements for obtaining consolidated work visas.
If you are in South Florida and seeking the services of a professional in Immigration and Accident Legal matters, attorney María Zequeira has over 20 years of experience serving the Treasure Coast community. 772-631-2127
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