And even if they apply by Monday, it still could take years before a green card is issued. The revised law has already prompted some unusual trends. For work-sponsored petitions, the employer must prove that the foreign immigrant has a skill that can't be found in a domestic applicant. That's one reason, say advocates, that many Spanish-language newspapers have been publishing long advertisements for specialty cooks. Under the law, U.S. citizens can sponsor spouses, siblings, parents and children.
Permanent residents can sponsor unmarried children and spouses.
As a result, many areas around the country with large immigrant communities have seen a spike in marriage-license applications as couples rush to the altar before Monday's deadline. For the first three months of this year, marriage licenses in Yakima County, which has a large Mexican and Mexican-American population, have increased 30 percent over last year. County auditors can't say for certain the surge is linked to the immigration law but suspect it is. At least one couple mentioned it was the reason they were getting married, said Elizabeth Harris, recording technician with the county. King County officials haven't noticed a similar increase.