The Dignity Act, introduced by US lawmakers, aims to grant undocumented immigrants the right to live and work legally, with dignity and accountability. However, The Dignity Program will not be a path to citizenship.
The Act introduces The Dignity Program, a 7-year legal status program, providing a solution for the long-term undocumented immigrants in America.
7-year Dignity Program
The 7-year Dignity Program offers legal status to long-term illegal immigrants in the U.S. who have been in the country since December 31, 2020. They will be provided a chance to work, pay restitution fee, follow the law, and earn legal status.
This 7-year program offers work authorization and protection from removal procedures if certain conditions and standards are completed. The applicants must adhere to all federal and state laws, pass a criminal background check, and pay back taxes owed and begin paying income taxes.
Dignity participants will pay $7,000 in restitution during the 7 years of the program. A restitution payment of at least $1,000 in each year for seven years has to be deposited in the H–1B Nonimmigrant Petitioner Account, which shall be used to support American workers.
Participants in the Dignity Program are not permitted to quit their jobs right away after entering; instead, they must continue working for a minimum of four years.
In addition to other taxes, the Dignity Program immigrants need to pay a tax of 1% of their earnings during their employment period.
The person can seek Dignity Status after completing the Dignity Program. This status will keep a person from receiving federal benefits and entitlements. They can stay in this position for as long as they like, as long as they continue to be in good standing with the law.
The Dignity Act
Lawmakers in the US have introduced The Dignity Act, aimed to provide undocumented immigrants who meet strict conditions with an earned opportunity to live and work legally, with dignity and accountability.
Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, along with a group of 20 members, have introduced a new and improved version of the DIGNITY Act – the DIGNITY Act of 2025, calling it a bold, historic, and commonsense immigration reform bill.
One of the key provisions of the Act is to introduce a Dignity Program, a 7-year earned legal status program allowing undocumented immigrants to live and work legally, with renewable status based on good conduct and restitution.