Undocumented immigrants now have a shot at a legal path to legal permanent residency, according to a recent announcement from the Biden administration.
Just this week, the administration stated that potentially hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of Americans can now apply for a green card and continue to live in the United States during the process. Prior to this, those in relationships and even marriages to American citizens had to leave the country for as long as five years to legally re-enter the country and apply for permanent residency.
The proposal preserves family units
If you are an undocumented person with a spouse and children in this country, it is always on your mind that you are one traffic ticket away from being ripped from the bosom of your family and getting deported.
Young adults and children known as “Dreamers” also have an easier path toward legal temporary worker visas, the precursor to green cards. The changes apply to those who qualify under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and undocumented individuals who graduated from colleges and universities here in the United States.
Additional restrictions apply
Eligible spouses include those deemed no threat to national security or public safety and those who lived at least 10 years in America who otherwise could receive a green card. There could be additional qualifications still to be announced.
What undocumented spouses can do today
Knowledge is power in these matters. Keeping abreast of all changes to the country’s immigration policies is wise when so much can hang in the balance.