On January 10, 2012, NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson sent a letter to President Obama thanking him for taking action to improve the process by which undocumented family members of American citizens can pursue legal residency.
The policy change, which was
reported in the New York Times last week, makes it possible for parents and children of U.S. citizens who need to leave the United States to receive their green cards to apply for waivers of unlawful presence before departing, thus alleviating the prolonged separation times often experienced by these individuals as they wait in their home country for the visa to be processed.