New Administration, New Rules

On 20 January 2021 Joseph Biden was sworn into office as the 46th President of the United States of America. A new Administration brings policy reviews and inevitable changes.

One of President Biden’s first announcements following his inauguration was his plan to overhaul the U.S. Immigration System. A system that is steeped in history and traditional rhetoric.

Biden immediately sent the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 to Congress as part of an overall plan to reform the U.S. Immigration system. Ultimately the legislation seeks to modernise a system needing to grow with the American economy by dispensing with employment-based visa backlogs and adding weight to the family balance.

The Trump administration restricted immigration with various orders and regulations. Importantly, one of President Trumps earliest orders, referred to as the “Muslim Ban” was immediately rescinded.

The Biden administration resets the tone of the Immigration System by banning all discrimination by way of religion. An overhaul will also seek to dispense of the term “alien”, moving to a preferred term of “noncitizen”.

Most importantly, the proposed Immigration System will provide, if enacted, an 8 year phased pathway to citizenship for many individuals living in the United States without legal status.

With the restructure of the Immigration System comes criticism, particularly the asylum deadlines, employment-based immigration restructure and revision of restrictions that currently keep families apart for years, if not generations, however it is widely perceived that Biden and his allies will find a common ground within Congress to move the new System forward.

Will these changes affect you or your family’s Immigration Status in America? One of our Immigration Experts can help you understand your current status and provide a pathway through any new legislation that may be enacted by Congress during this Administration.

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