The Biden administration announced a new immigration initiative on Aug 19 aimed at reuniting families separated by complex immigration laws. The program, known as “Keeping Families Together”, will allow certain noncitizen spouses and stepchildren of US citizens to apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country, as per the US Citizenship and Immigrant Services (USCIS).

With the large number of Indian immigrants in US, this move is believed to benefit the diaspora in a significant way.

“Too often, noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens – many of them mothers and fathers – live with uncertainty due to undue barriers in our immigration system,” said Ur M Jaddou, Director of USCIS. “This process to keep U.S. families together will remove these undue barriers for those who would otherwise qualify to live and work lawfully in the US.” 

Eligibility and process

Starting Aug 19, eligible individuals can begin submitting applications for parole in place. The process involves filing Form I-131F online and paying a fee of $580.

To qualify, noncitizen spouses must have been continuously present in the United States since at least June 17, 2014, be married to a US citizen, and have no disqualifying criminal history. Noncitizen stepchildren must meet similar criteria.

Who will benefit?

The Biden administration estimates that over 5,00,000 noncitizen spouses and 50,000 noncitizen stepchildren may be eligible for this program, according to reports.

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