Family reunification parole for Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras

DHS recently announced the implementation of new humanitarian family reunification permits for Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

This means that, thanks to the announcement, certain citizens of these four countries will be able to request a family reunification permit for humanitarian purposes to travel to the US. The parole will help relatives who have obtained the Green Card or successfully completed the process to obtain American citizenship.

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) specified that citizens of these countries may be considered for permission on a case-by-case basis.

Also, it will only be for a period of up to three years, while they wait to apply for lawful permanent residence.

How Does The Process Of Family Reunification Parole Permits Work?

Family Reunification Processes (FRP) are only available by invitation. This means that to qualify for this process, individuals must have a petition for relatives to the United States in their name.

Then, the petitioners must submit to USCIS Form I-130, petition for foreign relative and that this be approved for the national beneficiary of:

• Colombia.
• El Salvador.
• Guatemala, or
• Honduras.

Once the petition is approved, the beneficiaries will be granted temporary permission to remain in the US while they wait for their family-based immigrant visa.

Invitations To Participate

Invitations to participate in these processes are mailed to petitioners with an approved Form I-130. It must be taken into account that:

• Petitioners who have received an invitation may file Form I-134A, Online Application to Become a Support Person and Statement of Financial Support. 
• Each beneficiary must submit their I-134A form separately.
• If USCIS confirms that Form I-134A is sufficient, DHS will conduct a security investigation and confirm whether an Advance Travel Authorization exists. These advance authorizations will be issued on an individual basis. 
• If an advance travel authorization is issued, recipients may travel to a US port of entry and apply for discretionary parole.

Beneficiaries with this permit will be able to wait inside the country for their immigrant visa and later adjust their status in the United States. Additionally, if eligible, they may also apply for employment authorization upon arrival in the US.

Who Is Eligible To Apply For The New Temporary Stay Permit?

• Petitioners: Only permanent residents or US citizens can be petitioners.
• Beneficiary: Beneficiaries for this new process must be relatives of a petitioner. In addition, this includes the primary beneficiary and derivative beneficiaries, including additional derivative beneficiaries.
• Primary Beneficiaries: Primary beneficiaries are those individuals who have had a Form I-130 filed on their behalf by a petitioning family member. 
• Derivative Beneficiaries: Spouses or unmarried children under the age of 21 of a primary beneficiary.
• Additional Derivative Beneficiaries: If a primary beneficiary marries or has a child after Form I-130 is approved, the spouse or child may be eligible as an additional derivative.

Who Is Not Eligible

DHS will consider individuals ineligible for this immigration process if they have:

• Been intercepted at sea after July 10, 2023.
• Been ordered removed from the United States at any time during the previous 5 years, or are inadmissible based on a prior removal order.
• Crossed irregularly into the US between US ports of entry after July 10, 2023. However, there are certain exceptions to this rule. To find out what they would be, our attorney Carolina T. Curbelo will explain it in detail to all of her clients.

Being “Intercepted at Sea” means that the immigrants have been detained directly by the US Coast Guard (USCG) on legal or illegal vessels. This term also applies when immigrants have been transferred to the USCG.

Eligibility Requirements

In order for an individual to become a beneficiary in this program, they must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Being outside of the United States.
• Have a current and valid passport to travel internationally.
• Have a relative petitioner in the United States who has received an invitation to start the process on their behalf.
• Being a national of a country that has a family reunification permit process or, failing that, being a derivative beneficiary of a main beneficiary.
• Not having obtained an immigrant visa when the invitation to the process was issued.
• Be the primary or derivative beneficiary of a Form I-130.

As if that were not enough, each beneficiary will have to undergo a medical examination and undergo a public and national security investigation by the US.

How Long Will This Humanitarian Parole Be Valid for?

This parole will have an approximate duration of at least 3 years. In addition, successful immigrants will be able to legally work in the US Once an immigrant visa is available, the beneficiaries will be able to become permanent residents.

Curbelo Law At The Service Of Immigrants 

Although the Immigration and Nationality Act allows the DHS Secretary to issue these immigration permits to certain countries, it is only on a case-by-case basis. This means that not all individuals may be eligible for parole despite the fact that their countries do qualify.

This humanitarian parole is similar to the Cuban Family Reunification Program (CFRP) and the Haitian Family Permit (HFRP). Also, Venezuelan nationals currently have the new process for Venezuelans to come to the US legally.

These immigration opportunities can help aliens come to the country legally, work, and even increase their chances of becoming legal. If you are looking to become legal in the US, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Our immigration law firm in Ridgewood, New Jersey handles all types of immigration applications in the country. With more than 10 years of experience in the matter, we will be able to help you in any eventuality related to immigration.