On Jan. 5, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new parole processes for Cuban, Haitian, and Nicaraguan nationals, modeled on the successful processes for Venezuelans and Ukrainians established in 2022. The new processes aim to combine safe, orderly, and lawful pathways to the United States, including authorization to work, with significant consequences for those who fail to use those pathways. DHS will also be continuing the process with respect to Venezuelans and announced elimination of the numerical cap for a similar process for Venezuelans announced earlier this year.
Through a fully online process, individuals from these countries can be considered, on a case-by-case basis, for advanced authorization to travel to the United States by air and seek a temporary period of parole for up to two years. Parole allows an individual to be in the United States for a temporary period for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Applicants of qualifying nationalities must: have a supporter in the United States who will provide financial and other support; undergo and clear robust security vetting; meet other eligibility criteria; and, warrant a favorable exercise of discretion.
Neither the U.S. supporter nor the beneficiary is required to pay the U.S. government a fee for the Form I-134A or participation in this process. DHS strongly encourages Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans seeking entry in the U.S. who do not have and are not eligible for a visa to seek entry via this electronic process rather than approaching the border, as this will be the safest and most effective way to pursue a temporary stay in the United States.
Each individual seeking to travel to the U.S. under this process must be in possession of a valid unexpired passport. Consistent with the National Assembly decree of May 21, 2019, certain expired Venezuelan passports remain valid for travel to the U.S. If you are a Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, or Venezuelan national and believe that you may be eligible to apply for advanced travel authorization to seek parole into the U.S., or if you are a U.S.-based individual seeking to support a national of one of these countries, please contact Stephen Antwine, Esq. at Green & Spiegel for assistance at santwine@gands-us.com or (215) 395-8959.
