Dear Friends,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security, today posted a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register aimed at reducing the time Americans are separated from their family members who are going through the process of becoming legal immigrants to the United States.
Currently, some spouses and children of U.S. citizens who are qualified to become permanent residents, but who have accrued a certain period of unlawful presence in the U.S., must travel abroad to file a request for a waiver of inadmissibility and to complete the immigration process. This process can be lengthy and can result in U.S. citizens being separated from their family members for an extended period of time. This proposed regulatory change would not change existing immigration laws and would only apply in cases where U.S. citizens would suffer extreme hardship as a result of prolonged family separation. However, it would allow eligible spouses and children of U.S. citizens to apply for a provisional waiver before having to leave the U.S. to complete the legal immigration process.
While applicants would still need to go abroad to complete their legal immigration process, this proposal would significantly reduce the amount of time that American families are separated. For more information on this proposed change, click here.
The USCIS Office of Public Engagement invites you to participate in a stakeholder engagement on Tuesday, January 10th at 2:00 p.m. EST during which USCIS will provide an overview of the proposed process changes and address questions from stakeholders.
What: USCIS Stakeholder Engagement - Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers
When: Tuesday, January 10th
Start Time: 2:00 p.m. EST
RSVP: public.engagement@dhs.gov
Have a good weekend!
Julie Rodriguez
Associate Director
White House | Office of Public Engagement
Julie_C_Rodriguez@who.eop.gov
