On November 20, 2014 President Obama announced a new executive order providing protection to illegal immigrants in the USA. This executive order could affect as many as 3.3 million people who have been living in the United States illegally for at least five years.

This new initiative will give work permits and deportation deferrals to people in the US illegally and whose children are American citizens or legal permanent residents (green card holders), providing the parents have lived in the US for at least five years. Work permits will be initially granted for two years, with a possibility of an extension beyond the initial two year term.

Additionally, the new law would apply to people who have already benefited from deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA): the age requirement for childhood arrivals will be eased from a current “under 16 years” to a new “under 18 years”; the cut-off arrival date for entering the United States will be changed to June 1, 2011 from June 1, 2007 and the requirement for a maximum age of 30 years will be eliminated.