Biden will propose eight year citizenship path for immigrants on first day of new administration

On the first day of his new administration, President-elect Joe Biden is planning to announce an immigration bill which will include an eight year path to citizenship for people living in the US without legal status the Associated Press reported. The plan could be applicable to over 11 million people.

However, according to the Associated Press, the legislation would not include enhanced border security which is usually a requirement for many Republicans in any immigration deal, "making passage in a narrowly divided Congress in doubt."

The bill does not create any new visa or guest worker programs.

An anonymous source told the AP that the bill will be introduced after Biden takes the oath of office on January 20.

According to the legislation, a five year path would be established to temporary legal status or a green card for people currently without legal status living in the US as of Jan. 1, 2021, They would be required to fulfill basic requirements such as pass a background check and pay taxes.

If those terms are completed they could become a naturalized citizen in three years.

For children brought to the US illegally, agricultural workers and people under temporary protective status could qualify for green cards faster if they are in school, or employed.

Biden had previously called President Donald Trump’s immigration policies "an assault on human dignity and everything we stand for as a nation," and pledged to end them.

Biden is expected to use executive actions to undo many of Trump’s immigration policies including an end to the ban on people seeking to immigrate to the US from Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela and Yemen. Many travel restrictions were also placed by Trump on the aforementioned countries before the coronavirus outbeak.