ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – On Tuesday, June 7, the nonprofit, My Voice Counts, held an informative session on House Bill 7854, Venezuelan Adjustment Act, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for Venezuelan immigrants.

What You Need To Know

  • The Venezuelan Adjustment Act could allow immigrants from that country to become citizens

  • The bill is modeled after the law that allowed Cuban refugees to stay in the US

  • The bill would allow local residents to live up to their full potential

“People who [were] here present in the United States as of December 31, 2021 a year and one day later can adjust their status [to legal permanent residents],” My Voice Counts director Francisco Rodriguez said.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Darren Soto (D, Florida) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D, Florida), was written to be similar to to the Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, which created a pathway to citizenship for Cuban natives.

“When the Cuban Act was passed, they said that those professions were so important to the nations and it’s the same thing right now,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez estimates the change would affect 400,000 Venezuelan immigrants like Dr. Yolanda Medina.

Medina worked as an OBGYN for almost 30 years in Venezuela but wasn’t able to continue her profession in the U.S. 

“I lived in this country for seven years and because of my immigration status, I haven’t been able to continue my career,” Medina said.

Last year, she became a TPS recipient, but before that she was an undocumented immigrant. Despite that, her continuity in the country relies on her TPS being renewed every two years.

As a TPS, she could become a medical assistant, a far cry from the position she once had.

“It’s frustrating to see the medical crisis caused by COVID and not be able to help,” Medina said.

The internal data for MVC shows in five states, including Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, there are over 1,200 Venezuelan immigrants who are medical professionals. 

Medina said she hopes Congress passes the bill so she could become an OBGYN again.

“It would be amazing for me and my family because we could finally continue our careers,” she said. Her husband is an engineer and her son is a licensed administrator.

The bill was referred to the House Judiciary committee last month. Once it passes the committee, it will then go to a vote on the house floor.

As of now, experts say it’s unclear when the committee will even look at it because they’re currently focusing on gun control bills.