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Less than 5 months before the presidential elections in the United States take place, the president Joseph Biden announce new actions on immigration matters, such as the legal status of undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens and work visas for beneficiaries of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA.
On Monday, President Biden announced that the Department of Homeland Security will take steps to ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together.
This new process, he said, would help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residency - a status to which they are already entitled - without leaving the country. It is intended to promote family unity and strengthen the economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping U.S. citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together.
To be eligible, non-citizens must have resided in the United States for 10 years as of June 17, 2024, and be legally married to a U.S. citizen, meeting all applicable legal requirements. On average, those eligible for this process have resided in the U.S. for 23 years.
Those who are approved, after a case-by-case evaluation of their application by DHS, will have a three-day period to apply for permanent residence. They will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and will be eligible for work authorization for up to three years. This will apply to all married couples who meet the requirements.