The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin to accept petitions for legalisation from some undocumented spouses and stepchildren of US citizens from August 19. Under the “path to citizenship” program, the US aims to assist over 500,000 foreign national spouses and 50,000 foreign national stepchildren who entered the United States without a visa. These individuals are either demanding permanent residency in the US or its citizenship.

Certain non-citizens are allowed to reside and work temporarily in the US without worrying about being deported thanks to immigration parole.

If granted parole, these noncitizens are often able to apply for lawful permanent residency through an overseas US consulate without requiring to move outside of the country. According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates, 500,000 noncitizen wives of citizens of the US, who may be qualified for this procedure, have lived in the country on average for 23 years.

Know about immigration parole

Candidates are required to show the documents clarifying that they are married to a citizen of the United States (or the stepchild of one) as of June 17, 2024, and that they have been residing in the country for at least 10 years after entering without authorisation. Additionally, potential candidates must not have any criminal histories that would exclude them from consideration.

Those who meet the requirements will be granted “parole in place” status and put on track toward working legally in the United States. They will hopefully be granted a Green Card, which will grant them permanent residency, within three years. Following this, they will be able to apply to become a citizen of the US.

Here’s what documents are required

Valid state or national driver’s license

Valid passport or birth certificate with photo identification

Any document that was issued by the government featuring the candidate’s name, birthdate, and photo

Documentation proving that your spouse is a US citizen, like a birth certificate, passport, or Certificate of Naturalization

Documentation proving you have been living in the US continuously as of June 17, 2024, for at least ten years.

Some of these above-mentioned records include utility bills, house rent receipts, medical records, school records, attestations to residency from unions or religious institutions, birth certificates of children born in the US, dated bank transactions, contracts for rental agreements, insurance policies, and tax returns or receipts.

List of documents needed for noncitizen children of requestors

Evidence of eligibility for noncitizen children of requestors may consist of:

Documentation proving the child’s relationship to the noncitizen parent, like an adoption decree or birth certificate;

Proof, such as a marriage certificate, proving the noncitizen parent’s lawful marriage to a US citizen as of June 17, 2024