A more sensible path to green card?
Earlier this month the Obama administration announced it was going to try and tweak the process surrounding federal immigration law in the hopes of positively impacting thousands of American families. It is a story our readers in Troy, Michigan and Columbus, Ohio should follow closely.
As announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas, the change involves how undocumented immigrants with American family members will be able to apply for a green card. Undocumented immigrants would be able to remain in the U.S. while waiting for the visa application process to be completed.
Under current law U.S. citizens can submit green card applications for spouses and children, whether or not those family members entered the country legally.
However, as it currently stands, in most cases those family members have to return to their home country to receive their visas. But leaving the country triggers an automatic policy where they cannot return to the U.S. for upwards of a decade, even if they are eligible to become legal resident.
The new proposal provides that undocumented immigrants receive a waiver before leaving the country to get their visa. The idea is that this will cut down on delays for their return.
