In the Press: Biden’s New Actions to Keep Families Together

The new parole-in-place policy announced by President Biden aims to assist undocumented immigrants who are spouses of U.S. citizens. NOTE: This policy is not yet accepting applications.

This policy allows these individuals to apply for an adjustment of status without having to leave the country, a process that often causes fear and uncertainty. Previously, this was only an option open to spouses of military members.

Typically, undocumented individuals would have to leave the country and apply for a green card at a U.S. embassy in their home country, which could take a significant amount of time and result in hardships. Some would resort to applying for a 601A waiver, but this process also takes years and leaves them without a legal way to work while their application is processing.

The new policy is a significant improvement as it speeds up the process for these individuals to obtain legal status, thereby reducing the time they are separated from their families and allowing them to work legally sooner. This change is crucial in providing a more efficient and compassionate pathway to legal residency for undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens.

Read more about the policy from the American Immigration Lawyers Association - ALIA