On February 18, President Joseph Biden presented Congress with the latest immigration reform bill, the US Citizenship Act 2021, accompanied by a promise to offer more than 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States a path to citizenship.
President Biden’s predecessor blocked many green card holders from entering the US. However, now with Biden in the white house, he aims to modernize the immigration system in a way that benefits highly skilled immigrants to stay in the US and to complete the required official procedures while in the country.
Biden has adopted a pushing approach to immigration reform in order to implement important and overdue acts that require attention for the benefit of qualified immigrants and families of permanent residents. In addition to those who are H-1B visa holders, many key aspects highlight other beneficiaries and values that this law effectively conveys.
Listed below are some key aspects of the recent immigration reform
• One of the most important beneficiaries of this act would be the dreamers. Dreamers are young individuals who have lost their legality or have entered the country illegally as children. A recent act by Biden allows these dreamers to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship in the next three years. Some requirements must be fulfilled by dreamers, including the age at which they entered the USA must be less than 18.
• Individuals who have illegally entered the USA before January 1st, 2021, are eligible for work permits and citizenship through an 8-year procedure. These immigrants however will have to undergo a background check and pay taxes.
• ‘Alien’ was the word precisely used for immigrants dehumanizing their worth. In the latest act, the utilization of the word ‘non-citizen’ in the place of ‘alien’ conveys the value president Biden and the USA government hold for the immigrants. Changing a single word may have never impacted everyone as much as it has now.
• The law applies provisions to encourage the reunion of family members. A provision states the reclassification of spouses and minor children of legal permanent residents (H-4 visa holders) as immediate relatives. Currently, parents, spouses, and children of US citizens are considered immediate relatives.
As soon as this immediate relative petition is approved, the processing of the visa can be initiated immediately. Therefore, beneficiaries of immediate relative petitions can submit a status adjustment at the same time as the underlying petition is filed due to visa availability.
• If immigrant visa petitions and labor certifications of certain workers holding F-1, H-1B, L, and O visa has been pending for a while, then this act allows decisive extensions.
• Unifying families of permanent residents also seem an important aspect of this act since one of its provisions mentions spouses and minor children as the immediate family members of permanent residents. This is if not reunifying loved ones is, we’re not sure what is. Soon after the approval of the immediate relative petition, seekers can apply for visas effortlessly.
Including the above aspects, Biden also attempts to change the naturalization examination test although it will be difficult to say this act will pass considering the current political composition.
So far Biden has taken a huge step towards reforming the immigration system in a way it benefits immigrants more than the government. Even though passing a required number of votes remains a matter of concern, the major immigrant population continues to support Biden’s decision, and many optimistic promises yet to come.
At CosmosImmigration, we are all set to move in this new wave. We have modified our strategies in order to meet the frequency of this new reform, and to achieve higher goals to help applicants become successful immigrants. Connect with us today to get a free consultation to process your visas in this changing atmosphere.