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Washington (CNN) -- Months after President Barack Obama announced he would bypass lawmakers to take immigration action on his own, the time is nearing when millions of undocumented immigrants will learn their new fate.

The White House has vowed to take action before the end of the year, meaning Obama's immigration announcement could come as soon as he returns from a diplomatic trip to Asia early next week. But with lame duck legislative wrangling underway on Capitol Hill, the president's advisers could also wait until next month.

While not specifying when Obama might make his move, the White House said Thursday he's nearing a final decision on how to repair a system both Republicans and Democrats admit needs fixing.

And while officials say the specifics of what he will announce haven't been finalized, the broad contours of a potential plan that eases deportations for millions of undocumented immigrants have been floated by immigration groups for months.

For the multitude of groups who are watching the process unfold, the moment is charged.

"Without hesitation I can say the level of anticipation is intense. We were hoping this would happen in September," said Clarissa Martinez, deputy vice president of the National Council of La Raza. "It's long overdue. The sooner the better."

Millions affected

An expansion of Obama's "deferred action" program (DACA) that went into place in the summer of 2012 is considered by immigration activists a likely component of Obama's immigration action. DACA delayed deportation proceedings for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States by their parents as children.

READ: Could immigration reform cause another government shutdown?

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The immigration waiting game will end soon