The Biden administration revealed an updated budget reconciliation bill which includes $100 billion for immigration reform. The total bill is valued at $1.75 trillion. The suggested immigration efforts are less robust than plans previously submitted to, and denied by, the Senate parliamentarian.

The bill includes moving the eligibility date for immigrants on the ‘registry’ to receive green cards. The registry was first introduced in 1929 and was last updated in 1986. The proposal is to move the dates up to 2010, allowing individuals who entered the country without documentation between Jan 1, 1972, and Dec 31, 2009, to qualify for legal permanent status.

Included in this most recent proposal is the recapture of family- and employment-based green cards that went unused under the yearly immigration caps from 1992 to 2021. An estimated four million people waiting for family-based green cards and another estimated one million people waiting on the employment-based list could find themselves eligible for legal permanent resident status under this plan. The bill includes an option for qualifying individuals to pay additional fees to skip the green card line.

ILBSG continues to monitor the ongoing immigration proposals. If you have questions about your family- or employment-based green card eligibility or any other immigration issue, contact us at ILBSG.

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