Immigration Reform: Obama rule would let undocumented stay in U.S. during application

latimes.com: "The Obama administration will announce Friday a proposed new regulation that would allow certain undocumented immigrants to remain in America while applying for legal status -- a step aimed at keeping families intact and one that may also shore up the president's support with Latino voters. ...

As it stands, people living in the U.S. illegally who leave the country to apply for a green card face years of separation from family members. ... once they leave they are barred from returning for up to 10 years. They can claim that their absence would pose a hardship for their spouse or parent and ask the Department of Homeland Security to waive the re-entry restrictions. But to do that, they must first travel to a consular office abroad and begin a process that can take months or even years, experts say.

... Under the proposed rule, which would not require action by Congress, people would be allowed to file requests for hardship waivers in the United States.... They wouldn't need to go abroad, and thus could stay with their families while their requests were adjudicated." read more