June 18 (UPI) — The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it would allow certain undocumented immigrants who are married to U.S. citizens to stay and work in the United States legally, expanding rules previously reserved for immediate families of military members.
To be eligible, noncitizens must have lived in the United States for at least 10 years as of June 17 and be legally married to a U.S. resident, the White House said in a statement.
The administration said all spouses who qualify for the program will have three years to apply for permanent residency. During that time they will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and be eligible for work authorization for up to three years.
“This new process will help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence — status that they are already eligible for — without leaving the country,” the White House said.
“These actions will promote family unity and strengthen our economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping U.S. citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together.”
The White House said that it believes those who will be eligible for the program have lived in the United States for an average of 23 years and that it will provide protection for approximately half a million people married to U.S. citizens and about 50,000 noncitizen children younger than 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen.
Additionally, the White House announced that individuals including recipients of protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as Dreamers, who have graduated with a degree from an accredited U.S. higher learning institution and received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a related field to receive work visas more quickly.
“Recognizing that it is in our national interest to ensure that individuals who are educated in the U.S. are able to use their skills and education to benefit our country, the Administration is taking action to facilitate the employment visa process for those who have graduated from college and have a high-skilled job offer, including DACA recipients and other dreamers,” the White House said.
The announcement comes on the 12-year anniversary of DACA, which Biden will mark with a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday afternoon.
The move also comes after Biden earlier this month issued new more stringent asylum rules at the U.S. border that angered some Latino advocates and a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.