The Obama Administration has announced new immigration policies which will affect millions of families in different ways.  One of the most important topics for business owners is the Entrepreneur visa and the streamlined L visa for intra-company transferees, which will ensure that job-creating entrepreneurs have legal means to enter and operate in the U.S.

Under the new policies announced, the Obama Administration will build on the successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by providing temporary relief for the parents of U.S. Citizens and lawful permanent residents. The new program, to be called Deferred Action for Parents (DAP), will ensure that millions of U.S. Citizen and lawful permanent resident children will remain unified with their parents. The President also announced new enforcement policies and steps to improve the adjudication of business and family visas.

A summary of the President's plan includes:

• Deferred Action for the parents of U.S. citizen and lawful permanent resident children who fit the eligibility requirements.
• Expansion of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to remove the age cap and move the continuous presence date up to January 1, 2010. DACA will now be granted for 3 years (including those with pending renewal applications).
• Allowing spouses and children of lawful permanent residents to apply for unlawful presence waivers from within the U.S. and ensuring appropriate standards for adjudicating those waivers.
• Enabling families of individuals trying to enlist in the armed forces to utilize parole in place to ensure legal status.
• Changing the procedures for adjustment of status to allow legal immigrants caught in the immigration quota backlogs to register their applications and thus begin the final step of the process.
• Replacement of the controversial Secure Communities program with a "Priority Enforcement Program" program the details of which are still unclear.
• Ensuring that job-creating entrepreneurs have legal means to enter and operate in the U.S.
• Increasing access for university affiliated businesses to key talent.
• Directing agencies to look at modernizing the visa system, with a view to making optimal use of the numbers of visa available under law.
• Announcement of a new border security campaign and plan.

Protect yourself, your family and your business. For additional information, contact us at the Immigration Law Firm of Anayancy R. Housman, committed to keeping you and your family informed Anayancy Housman, Abogada.