US To Give Legal Status To 5,00,000 Immigrants

The Joe Biden-led US administration has announced a significant policy that would provide a path to citizenship for thousands of undocumented spouses of US citizens. The latest large-scale immigration program will help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence. This initiative is expected to benefit more than 5,00,000 people.

The White House mentioned in a statement that immigrants who have been in the country for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of the United States. In order to be eligible, noncitizens must have resided in the US for 10 or more years and must be legally married to a US citizen as of June 17. If the application is approved, he or she would have three years to apply for permanent residency. They will also be eligible for work authorization for up to three years. The process will be rolled out in the coming months. 

The policy is the largest government program for undocumented immigrants in recent years. The Biden administration also believes that the policy will protect approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to US citizen. Biden is seeking a second term, as US voters will head to the polls on November 5. At the same time, this move will reinforce Joe Biden's campaign message that he supports a more humane immigration system.