In June of this year, President Biden announced a new executive order establishing a more streamlined process for undocumented immigrants who are married to American citizens to apply to become a Legal Permanent Resident. This new policy is being referred to as Parole in Place and allows those who qualify not to leave the country while applying for and receiving their green card. It has been announced that USCIS will start accepting applications on August 19, but currently, the application is not yet available, and more information about eligibility and the application process is forthcoming. As a part of this executive order, some undocumented children of the couple may also qualify.
The requirements to qualify:
Be present in the United States as an undocumented immigrant
Have been continuously present in the United States for at least ten years
Have a legal marriage with a US citizen as of June 17, 2024, or before
Not having a criminal record or being considered a national or public security threat.
Also, applicants will have to present documentation proving their presence in the US in the last 10 years and proof of marriage to an American citizen, such as a marriage certificate. Applicants can start to get together the documents they may need to apply, the recommendation is to have 1 document of proof of presence in the United States for every 3 months within the 10-year period. Examples of documents are: Rent receipts, electricity, water, gas, and medical bills, birth certificates of citizen children, bank statements, car title or registration, mortgage or rental contracts, tax returns or tax receipts.
While this policy will help some of the undocumented community adjust their status, it is clearly part of a political strategy in an election year and still falls short of the comprehensive immigration reform that is needed. Read more about CATA's immigration advocacy here: https://www.cata-farmworkers.org/immigration.
CATA will be sharing more information as it becomes available, and please call CATA with any questions, 856-881-2507. Updates can also be found on the USCIS webpage here: https://www.uscis.gov/keepingfamiliestogether
Meghan Hurley
Policy and Advocacy Organizer
CATA - The Farmworker Support Committee
856-881-2507
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