In particular, it is planned to introduce an eight-year period for obtaining citizenship for migrants without legal status, as well as to increase quotas for admitting refugees.
US President-elect Joseph Biden, Democrat, will submit legislative proposals to Congress on January 20 to reform the migration sector. This was reported on Monday evening by The Washington Post.
As the newspaper notes, Biden on the day immediately after the inauguration will deploy a comprehensive reform of migration legislation. It is planned to introduce an eight-year period for obtaining citizenship for migrants without legal status, as well as to increase the quotas for receiving refugees. The proposed package is intended, among other things, to eradicate the causes of the migration flow from Central America.
Under the eight-year plan, millions of job seekers will receive temporary status for five years, then qualify for a green card if they pass security checks and pay taxes. Subject to these conditions, after three years it is allowed to apply for citizenship.
The new rules will apply only to those applicants who were in the United States as of January 1, 2021. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) migrant child protection program members and those arriving from countries affected by natural disasters can apply for a green card immediately.
The DACA program was launched in 2012 under President Barack Obama. It covers about 800 thousand people who were brought to the United States by children and who have never had legal immigration status. It is designed to give such people temporary protection from deportation and the opportunity to obtain permission to work in the United States. In September 2017, President Donald Trump’s administration canceled the program. Claims against this decision were filed by 15 states, protests were held in large cities.