President Biden reopened Green Card applications on February 24 and ended a ban on Green Cards imposed by former President Trump in 2020. In announcing the end of the Green Card ban in A Proclamation on Revoking Proclamation 10014, Biden said the ban:
“did not advance the interests of the United States. To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here. It also harms industries in the United States that utilize talent from around the world.”
On April 20, 2020, President Trump froze Green Cards for certain new immigrants and temporary work visas for skilled workers, managers and au pairs in the H-1B, H-4, H-2B, L-1 and J categories to protect jobs during the global pandemic.
The ban was scheduled to end in late March 2021, Biden’s proclamation allows immigrants to submit their applications to USCIS immediately, including:
• Family members of U.S. citizens and Green Card holders
• Individuals selected to receive visas through the diversity visa lottery
The Biden administration is also addressing the backlog of visa applications due to the 8-month ban.
A Green Card is a nickname for Legal Permanent Resident status (LPR). Having status as an LPR gives immigrants the right to legally live and work in the U.S. A foreign national can get a Green Card in numerous ways. Although most applicants are sponsored by either an employer or a family member in the U.S., some become LPRs through humanitarian programs as refugees or those granted asylum or other relief.
If you need help with your Green Card, please contact our office. We can schedule an evaluation or attorney consultation to help you. Contact Godoy Law Office at 630-912-0322, our skilled Green Card immigration lawyers in Chicago, Lombard and Oak Brook can answer any questions about immigration and guide you through every step of the process.
Godoy Law Office serves the entire Chicago, Illinois area including DuPage, Cook, Kane, Will, and Lake Counties.
Se Habla Español
Immigration Attorney Mario Godoy has years of experience guiding clients with immigration issues through the immigration process along with guiding clients through the criminal case. Godoy focuses on family-based immigration law, business immigration law, removal defense, and criminal defense representation of immigrants. A criminal charge or conviction can be devastating to your immigration case. With over a decade of immigration law experience and memories of family members who were deported due to bad legal advice, Godoy is committed to helping other immigrant families receive the legal justice they deserve. As a legal entrepreneur who practices immigration law, criminal law, estate and probate law, and running two successful law firms, Mario Godoy understands the importance of keeping families together and making a home and future in America.
