Cubans with I-220A are excluded from plan to legalize half a million immigrants in the US.

After last Tuesday's announcement of a new program by President Joe Biden's government that will allow the spouses of Americans, local university graduates, and those who entered the country as children to regularize their status, new questions arise for Cubans in the United States.

According to lawyer Ángel Leal, specialized in immigration issues, "those who qualify are individuals who have been in the country for over ten years and the sons and daughters under 21 years old of the undocumented spouse of the American citizen."

In an interview with Martí Noticias, this lawyer described the options as scarce for those with an I-220A status, since "it more or less started about two or three years ago."

"If you are the spouse of a U.S. citizen and have been in the country for more than ten years, and all of this occurred no later than June 17, 2024, you will be able to apply for this parole that will be granted to you for three years. This will allow you to apply for a work permit, and you will then have that three-year period to apply for residency," clarified the expert in the aforementioned interview with Cuban-American journalist Mario J. Pentón.

Regarding those who are in I220A status, he mentioned that "it is important to understand that the majority of people in that situation have not been able to adjust their status to residency because they did not enter the country legally."

By releasing these actions through a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that they aim to "promote family unity in the immigration process, consistent with the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to keeping families together."

According to government figures, around 50,000 stepchildren of U.S. citizens will be able to benefit from the new regulations, in addition to half a million migrants, who will have a three-year period to apply for permanent residence once the authorities review their case and approve their application.

During that period, they may remain in the U.S., apply for a work permit for up to three years, receive their "Green Card," and even apply for citizenship.