The Wall Street Journal reported that the Obama administration has proposed a rule that would permit certain undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States while they apply for hardship waivers.
The law currently forces illegal immigrants who wish to apply for green cards to return to their home countries before they can apply for legal status. Once the individual leaves the United States, he or she is barred from returning for at least 3 to 10 years, leaving many families separated for long periods of time.
Under the new proposal, an undocumented immigrants would be able to apply for a provisional waiver while they are still in the United States. Obtaining the waiver will reduce the amount of time an undocumented immigrant must remain abroad in his or her home country while applying for a visa. No action is needed by Congress to enact the rule as "President Obama is making greater use of executive power to overcome congressional resistance to his policy goals," according to a report by the LA Times.
The WSJ interviewed Nancy Kuznetsov, vice president of American Families United, who said "[the proposal] is a wonderful humane change." The article noted that the proposal will likely garner praise from the Latino community, a key constituency in the upcoming 2012 election.
Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.
