Humanitarian Parole

Humanitarian Parole is a relief that allows individuals outside of the U.S. to enter the country temporarily for urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit. Like humanitarian reinstatement, it is a discretionary measure that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will consider on a case-by-case basis. While the USCIS usually considers such cases, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also has the discretionary authority to grant humanitarian parole to a foreign national at a U.S. Port of Entry.

The U.S. government has also established humanitarian parole programs to help encourage migrants from certain countries to use legal pathways to come to the U.S. instead of using dangerous and illegal routes. Currently, the Federal government has created humanitarian parole programs that allow up to 30,000 nationals of Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Venezuela to enter and work temporarily in the U.S. monthly. Most asylum-seekers who arrive at our borders are from these four countries. There is an annual cap of 360,000 for nationals from these countries. There is also a humanitarian parole program for Ukrainian citizens called Uniting for Ukraine, which has no cap due to the country’s ongoing war with Russia. However, specific conditions are needed to qualify for these programs for both beneficiaries and sponsors.

• Beneficiaries must find sponsors in the US, and these sponsors must have legal status
• Qualifying organizations, such as churches, may also sponsor beneficiaries
• The sponsors must meet the income requirements
• Beneficiaries must have an official passport to enter the U.S.

How to sponsor a foreign national for humanitarian parole:

Sponsoring a foreign national can be a complicated process, mainly because you must provide documents to prove that you are in an excellent financial position to file the necessary sponsorship forms on their behalf. Below is a general outline of the steps you will need to follow:

• Sponsors must file Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter, and Declaration of Financial Support applications
• The USCIS will randomly select approximately half of the monthly total of all pending Form I-134A applications to determine if the case can be confirmed
• The USCIS will then review the other half of the monthly total using the applications’ dates of submission under the first-in, first-out method
• Sponsors whose applications are unconfirmed can file a new application and submit additional evidence if they believe they do meet the sponsorship requirements
• Sponsors can monitor their application status by visiting their USIS online account or checking the Case Status Online link

If you are interested in sponsoring a national from Cuba, Haiti, Ukraine, Venezuela, or Nicaragua, we can help you determine if you meet the requirements and guide you through the process. At U.S. Immigration Law Counsel, our attorneys can explain everything you need to know to give your sponsorship application the best chance at success.