To improve immigration processes and provide additional support to immigrants, the Biden administration has announced several policy changes.
Starting Aug. 19, 2024, unauthorized spouses and children of U.S. citizens who have been in the United States for at least 10 years can apply for parole in place, allowing these individuals to obtain green cards without having to leave the country. If approved, eligible family members will have three years to apply for permanent residency while being granted work authorization. By enabling family members to adjust their immigration status from within the United States, rather than traveling abroad and potentially facing a 10-year reentry ban, this change may significantly simplify the permanent residency process for eligible individuals.
The U.S. Department of State has also revised its guidance to favor immigrants with U.S. college degrees and job offers. The updated guidelines clarify that it is in the public interest for these individuals, including those with work authorization from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, to utilize their degrees in the United States. Consular officers will now have the discretion to weigh an applicant's college degree and job offer favorably when deciding whether to grant a waiver to a visa applicant who would otherwise be ineligible. These adjustments aim to expedite the work visa process for college graduates.
Additionally, the Biden administration announced plans to double the locations for the Executive Office Immigration Review (EOIR), a program that provides volunteer attorneys in immigration courts for those without legal representation. Currently operating in San Francisco, Chicago, and New Orleans, the EOIR will expand to Maryland, New York City, and Atlanta by the end of the fiscal year. This expansion seeks to ensure fair representation for immigrants during legal proceedings. The EOIR has issued a call for attorneys to provide pro bono support to the program.
To expand opportunities for Latino communities, the Biden administration also announced that the U.S. Department of Education will propose to expand federal outreach programs targeting beneficiaries of the DACA program. Known as the Trio Program, this initiative aims to assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds as they transition from high school to college. The Department of Education's proposal would extend the Trio Program to reach an additional 50,000 individuals.
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