Eligible immigrants will be granted up to one year of legal residency as well as permission to work. The measure could benefit an estimated 500,000 people living in Spain without authorization, Saiz said. Many are immigrants from Latin American or African countries working in the agricultural, tourism or service sectors, backbones of Spain’s booming economy. Saiz said she expects those eligible will be able to start applying for their legal status from April until the end of June. Terrón added that by granting legal status to migrants in the country irregularly, Sánchez is giving rights and protections to undocumented workers while also benefiting the Spanish economy.