General
Necessary Elements for Just Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Family-Based Immigration Reform (2013)
Element 2: Family-Based Immigration Reform
Background: As the U.S. Congress and President Obama look to overhaul immigration policy in the coming year, it is important for any successful comprehensive immigration reform bill to include family-based immigration reform. Under the current system immediate family members of legal permanent residents (LPRs) must wait as long as 10 years to legally join their loved ones.
Issue: While many immigrants’ rights advocates support the promotion of family-based immigration policies that help reunite and keep families together, some on Capitol Hill want to reduce the number of visas available for family members or eliminate the family-based categories altogether and replace it with a Canadian-style “point” system.