North American President Joe Biden is set to announce a major overhaul of the country’s immigration policies on Tuesday, introducing measures that will grant residency permits to hundreds of thousands of American spouses and accelerate work visas for university graduates. The changes have been met with criticism from supporters of Biden’s Republican rival, Donald Trump.
The new regulations will allow migrants married to Americans, along with their children, to obtain a green card without having to leave the country to apply for it. The move is expected to benefit those who have been living in the country for at least 10 years and are married to a US citizen before June 17, 2024.
The government estimates that around 500,000 migrants, including 50,000 stepchildren of US citizens, will be eligible to take advantage of the new rules. Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and approved applicants will have three years to apply for permanent residence, during which time they will be able to stay in the US and qualify for a work permit.
Once permanent residence is obtained, the beneficiary will be able to apply for citizenship. The changes aim to simplify the process and minimize bureaucracy, making it easier for migrants to integrate into American society.
The reforms will also make it easier for graduates of American higher education institutions to obtain work visas, provided they have received a highly qualified job offer. The announcement comes days after the 12th anniversary of the DACA program, which was introduced by Barack Obama’s administration and protects “dreamers” from deportation and allows them to work.
Since its launch, Citizenship and Immigration Services have approved over 800,000 applications and have around 580,000 beneficiaries, according to official data.
