By The opinion
Jun 19, 2024, 11:00 AM EDT
President Joe Biden’s immigration order for undocumented immigrant spouses of Americans has time limitationsauthorities confirmed.
The requirements for these people to benefit is to demonstrate at least 10 years of stay in the United States as of June 17, 2024.
In addition, the person must be legally married to an American, that is, it does not apply to so-called “de facto” unions or concubinages.
Although the benefit could reach half a million people, the order will only apply on a single occasion.
“This is not the process by which people can become eligible [para una Green Card] in the future”said a Biden Administration official in a conference with the media to advance details of the proposal.
The requirements were insisted on, in order to avoid complications when carrying out the procedure before the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office, where it will be confirmed that the person without papers will not have to leave the country to apply for their Green Card to through marriage.
“This is a process that benefits those who meet the requirements today, as I said before, regarding the date of marriage and the 10 years of presence in the United States,” it was insisted.
People will have to prove that they are legally married.
“The marriage has to be legally valid, as I noted, and in terms of what that definition needs, it will be important information in the record,” one of the officials said.
That is, when applying for the benefit, the mixed-status couple could require the delivery or exhibition of their marriage certificate.
Thus, in 2025, people who can demonstrate 10 years of stay in the United States and could apply for a Green Card would no longer be able to do so under President Biden’s recent order, it was specified.
President Biden’s other executive order benefits ‘dreamers’ to obtain a work visa to open the way to citizenship, but no time limit was established for such a decision.
Biden Administration officials insisted that Congress is responsible for passing reforms that could offer a path to citizenship for more people.
Keep reading:
• Biden’s order would allow more than a million undocumented immigrants to apply for a Green Card
• Thousands of undocumented immigrants will be able to obtain a Green Card with Biden’s new order
• Biden celebrated his new immigration plan and assured that it is a “common sense” measure