As many of you know, President Obama announced he will take Executive Action in the absence of congressional reform of the nation’s immigration laws. The announcement included important upcoming changes to the business immigration system, including use of the National Interest Waiver for entrepreneurs who want to apply for permanent residence, parole to bring entrepreneurs with great business ideas to the United States, expanded work authorization for F-1 college graduates and spouses of professional workers, and greater efficiency in the visa allocation system. The announcement also included additions to the provisional waiver process for family immigration, the end of the controversial Secure Communities program, which will be replaced by the Priority Enforcement Program, and an expanded Deferred Action program for people who have lived in this country for years without legal status but who have close ties to the United States.
We are all waiting for additional guidance from the government about these executive actions. Before the business immigration provisions take effect, the government will first need to publish regulations and guidance, which takes months. The newly expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) application period is expected to begin in February 2015, while applications for Deferred Action for Parents (DAPA) will not be accepted until at least May 2015. In the meantime, people who believe they may be eligible should get ready by identifying the right help (because the wrong help can hurt) and gathering documents to prove
- Identity; and
- Relationship to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, and
- Continuous residence in the United States over the last five years or more.
President Obama even visited Nashville, speaking from our own Casa Azafran and meeting with immigrant advocates from the Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and other local non-profits. In his remarks, the President urged eligible immigrants to apply for Deferred Action and sought to assure the community that any future administration would not overturn his executive measures because the American people overwhelmingly support a fair and humane immigration system. In his speech, the President praised Nashville as a welcoming home to one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the United States, accounting for more than half of Nashville’s growth since 2000, and as a bright example of successful city-wide policies and initiatives to encourage immigrant integration.