| A bill has been passed by the US Congress to make | | | | were deprived of green card eligibility. |
| widows and widowers of U.S. citizens, eligible for | | | | This new bill that forms part of the Homeland |
| green cards despite the deaths of their spouses | | | | Security Appropriations Bill does away with the |
| before the approval of their applications. Several | | | | ‘widow penalty’ that required the couple to |
| widows and widowers of US citizens like Dahianna | | | | be married for two years before the surviving |
| Heard, Raquel Williams, and Ana Maria Moncayo-Gigax | | | | spouse can apply for USA citizenship. |
| have fought a long, legal battle to be eligible for USA | | | | Not only hundreds of widows and widowers were |
| citizenship due to the untimely death of their spouses. | | | | not granted green cards due to this harsh penalty, a |
| This news brings new hope to them. | | | | few unlucky ones were deported by USA |
| Earlier, the foreign national spouse of a U.S. citizen | | | | Immigration. But the federal government has now |
| was granted a ‘conditional green card’ till the | | | | declared a halt to all deportation proceedings |
| marriage is two-years old. Towards the end of two | | | | concerned with green card eligibility for two years. |
| years, they should jointly apply for a permanent | | | | But some immigration attorneys still feel this |
| green card for the spouse, removing the condition. | | | | doesn’t do justice to those already deported. |
| This was done to ensure that no pretense marriages | | | | Now, green card eligibility will be granted irrespective |
| for the sake of getting a green card took place. | | | | of when the spouse died or how long have the |
| Unfortunately due to the sudden death of the | | | | couple have been married. In addition to the surviving |
| spouses, many, as seen in the cases of Dahianna | | | | spouse, green card application can be submitted for |
| Heard, Raquel Williams, and Ana Maria Moncayo-Gigax, | | | | their children also. |