Many green card holders are still stuck outside of the country, worried about returning to their lives in the U.S. because of broad disruptions to the immigration system during the pandemic.
The Thompsons, originally from Jamaica, spent 843 days living in churches in Philadelphia to avoid deportation. Now they are free, but reentry comes with new challenges.
The change means the wait is over for hundreds of thousands of job-seeking foreigners and those pursuing permanent residency in the U.S. to apply for the coveted immigration documents.