Biden unveils new path to citizenship for immigrant spouses

The White House announced that President Joe Biden's administration will allow some immigrants to apply for American citizenship in the coming months. This policy applies to approximately 500,000 people who are spouses of U.S. citizens and do not have legal status.

Immigrants who have lived in the United States for at least 10 years and are married to an American man or woman can apply for American citizenship.

If their request is approved, these immigrants will have three years to apply for a green card and receive a temporary work permit. During this period, they will be protected from deportation.

According to White House officials who requested anonymity, approximately 50,000 children of immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens may also potentially qualify for this process.

Biden's plan does not specify how long the couple must be married. However, individuals who marry after Monday cannot take advantage of this right.

According to officials, the process will be open until the end of the summer. Application fees have not yet been determined.

Biden will present details of the plan on Tuesday, the 12th anniversary of President Barack Obama's introduction of the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program. This directive prevents the deportation of immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children, allowing them access to legal education and employment.

The U.S. President will also announce new regulations allowing some DACA beneficiaries and young immigrants to apply for long-term work visas more easily. This means that immigrants will be provided with more robust protection than the work permits offered by DACA. Currently, DACA is not accepting new applications.

At the beginning of June, President Biden suspended the possibility of asylum requests from immigrants who illegally crossed the border from Mexico. Immigrant rights organizations sued the U.S. administration in connection with this directive.