On June 18, 2024, President Joe Biden announced a series of immigration actions that will help certain undocumented individuals in the United States, including:
- Spouses and children of U.S. citizens can apply for lawful permanent residence without having to leave the United States, if as of June 17, 2024:
- you are in the U.S. after entering the U.S. without permission;
- have lived in the United States for 10 years or more and have never left;
- legally married to an U.S. citizen or have a qualifying stepchild relationship with a U.S. citizen; and
- don’t have certain criminal history or pose a threat to public safety or national security.
If you meet the above criteria, USCIS may grant you parole-in-place: Parole would be granted for a one-time period of three years, and you may also be eligible for employment authorization for up to three years.
*Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis*
- College-education DACA recipients and Dreamers who are qualified for non-immigrant status, such as an H-1B specialty occupation visa, may be eligible to apply for temporary visa more easily, if they:
- Have a degree from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education;
- Have an offer of employment for an U.S. employer in field related to their degree.
Timing
This new program is not currently effective, and applications are not being accepted. USCIS will reject any filings or individual requests received before the application period begins later this summer.
A Federal Register notice will be published soon that outlines the specific steps to be considered under these processes. We will be watching for such an announcement.
Next Steps
If you think you or someone you know may be eligible for one of the processes, please contact our office by phone at (206) 282-1955 or complete the contact form on our website to schedule a consultation to discuss the specifics and eligibility.
We will be sending out regular updates electronically about the program as information is released. Please let us know if you would like to receive these updates.