President Biden has granted legal status and a streamlined pathway to U.S. residency and citizenship for about half a million undocumented immigrants married to American citizens. This new policy, set to take effect later this summer, will allow eligible immigrant spouses and children of U.S. citizens, who have lived in the U.S. for at least a decade, to apply for lawful permanent residence without needing to leave the country first.
The program, called “Parole in Place,” permits these immigrants to seek work permits and deportation protection, provided they meet certain criteria and pass a criminal background check. This policy aims to prevent family separations and bypass the previous requirement that could lead to a 10-year ban for illegal stay. The administration expects around 500,000 unauthorized immigrants with U.S. citizen spouses to benefit from this initiative, excluding those posing national security or public safety risks.
President Biden emphasized that this initiative is a practical solution to streamline the process for obtaining legal status for long-term undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens. The policy, coinciding with the 12th anniversary of the DACA program, aims to create a pathway to permanent residency and U.S. citizenship, reinforcing the U.S.’s commitment to both secure borders and humane immigration policies.