Democrats get hopeful sign from parliamentarian on immigration

• The provisions in question would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to apply for work permits, permission to travel and to receive temporary protection from deportation.
• The official ruling is expected in the coming weeks, although no date is yet set, the sources said.

Why it matters: Democrats have promised to pursue immigration reform through the legislation that's also focused on expanding the social safety net and addressing climate change.

• Their two previous proposals were turned away by the Senate parliamentarian.
• Two people familiar with discussions described the outcome of Tuesday's meeting as a positive sign.
• The Senate Parliamentarian did not accept, reject or recommend changes to the proposal — only moving it along to a formal test of budgetary effects in which both parties will be able to make their case to the parliamentarian.

Flashback: The two previous plans rejected by the Senate parliamentarian offered legal permanent residency.

Plan A — A proposal to provided as many as 8 million undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship was rejected in an official “Byrd Bath," a vet to see if it has a budgetary effect and, therefore, can be included in a reconciliation bill.

Plan B — A move to update an outdated immigration registry to provide green cards for some undocumented immigrants was rejected during another review.

• The parliamentarian later called it a “weighty policy change” not budgetary in nature.