Obama's Proposal for New Immigration Law Changes!

• posted by Tai Stevenson

As you may already be aware, we are expecting comprehensive immigration reform law this year. President Obama has repeatedly stressed the need for immigration reform and several senators are working to pass an immigration reform bill. These immigration reforms may lead to hundreds, thousands, or even millions of immigrants in obtaining legal status by paying a fine and paying back taxes and an eventual pathway to citizenship. Further, persons eligible under the Dream Act may also be able to obtain Permanent Resident status. Although the bill is in preliminary stages, we are hopeful an immigration reform bill will be passed this year.

As the comprehensive immigration reform are being developed that could possibly provide legal status to 11 million undocumented immigrants; the key principles of the reform include the following:

• Eliminating the extremely long wait times for families to be reunited with loved ones with temporary and permanent reforms to the family-based immigration system.
• Eliminating long wait times for employers and prospective employees by reducing backlogs and adding visas.
• Granting green cards to graduates in science, technology, engineering and math fields, creating a "startup visa" for job-creating entrepreneurs, and expanding opportunities for investors contributing to U.S. economic development.
• Expediting an opportunity for DREAMers to earn their citizenship.
• Investing in our immigration courts and providing greater protections for those least able to represent themselves.
• Providing broader discretion to judges to help keep families together when they face hardship.
• Treating same-sex families just like other families.
• Imposing tough criminal penalties on notarios who prey on vulnerable immigrants.

AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 13012950 (posted Jan. 29, 2013)

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