Humanitarian Parole
Humanitarian parole is a temporary method that lets people into the country for urgent humanitarian reasons. This solution to an immediate need allows United States officials to bypass the normal immigration process.
It is not a way to gain a visa, a green card or citizenship, but it could help you get into the country if you have an urgent family need like a medical emergency. In addition to urgent family needs, various administrations have created humanitarian parole programs to help people experiencing unexpected crises like an invasion of their homeland or war.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is allowed to let people into the country without the normal process of applying for visas using humanitarian parole because of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
If you are granted humanitarian parole, you are not considered “formally admitted” into the U.S. with an immigration status, but you are allowed to temporarily enter the country.
Many people choose to be represented by an immigration lawyer while applying for humanitarian parole simply because their need is so urgent that there is no room for mistakes on the petition.
If you need access into the country to help an ailing family member, to tend to the affairs of a diseased relative, for medical treatment, or for any other legitimate reason, Warren Law Firm can help you.
Here we cover eligibility for humanitarian parole, the process of being granted humanitarian parole, and some frequently asked questions about humanitarian parole.
Humanitarian Parole Eligibility
If you are outside the United States and need inside the country for a temporary, urgent reason, requesting humanitarian parole might be the right choice for you.
There are several programs that have been established for mass humanitarian parole based on significant need, but USCIS officers typically look at all circumstances when deciding whether humanitarian parole is warranted.
These circumstances may call for approval of parole:
- You require critical medical treatment inside the United States
- You need to resolve urgent family legal matters
- You need to testify in a criminal case
- A civil suit requires your presence in court
- You are an Afghan foreign national
- You are a Cuban foreign national
- You are a Haitian foreign national
- You are a Nicaraguan foreign national
- You are a Ukrainian foreign national
- You have family reunification needs
- You are a Filipino WWII veteran
USCIS officials will take into consideration many other factors including the following:
- Your well being
- Your suffering
- If humanitarian parole can actually help you
- If you are trying to use humanitarian parole to bypass the visa process
- Whether you have a financial supporter or can financially support yourself
- If you are of good moral character
- National security
- Whether you have a criminal history
If it seems like a visa might be a better option for you, USCIS will expect you to go that route instead. So, consulting with an experienced immigration attorney is a good idea. Your attorney will help you decide if you should petition for humanitarian parole or a visa.
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The Process Of Applying For Humanitarian Parole
If you and the immigration attorney you have hired decide that humanitarian parole might be your best choice for entering the country, you will need to figure out if you can prove that you can financially support yourself or if you need to get a financial supporter. If you cannot prove that you have enough money to financially support yourself while on humanitarian parole, then you will need a financial supporter.
This person doesn’t need to be a U.S. citizen or even a lawful permanent resident. In fact, they aren’t required to have an immigration status of their own at all. That said, if you do need a financial supporter, USCIS is sometimes more likely to approve your parole if your financial supporter is a lawful permanent resident or citizen. You have to submit a Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support for each financial supporter, so if you need multiple supporters to prove you have the resources, you will fill out a separate Form I-134 for each supporter.
Your I-134 will be turned in with your I-131, Application for Travel Document, which is the form used to request humanitarian parole. Your attorney will help you fill this out properly and help you include all the needed documentation. All of this and your filing fee will be sent to the USCIS International and Refugee Affairs Division. If you have been deported and are petitioning for humanitarian parole to get back into the country, USCIS will usually direct your petition to ICE.
Once the petition has been received, it will be processed quickly. USCIS is aware that humanitarian parole requests are urgent in nature, but if your need is especially critical, your attorney can help you make that clear on your petition. There is an option for “expedited processing” if your situation is especially time-sensitive or your life is in danger.
From there, you should expect the possibility of getting an appointment for an interview. If you’re in a country that has a U.S. embassy or consulate, USCIS officials will keep them informed, but if the country where you are located doesn’t have a U.S. embassy or consulate, you need to get to a location that has one before they can complete your parole processing. Your attorney will explain this in more detail.
Once it seems like your parole will be approved, then USCIS will schedule your biometrics appointment. They will also explain any conditions of your parole.
FAQs About Humanitarian Parole
What are examples of reasons you should not petition for humanitarian parole?
You should never petition for humanitarian parole to try to avoid normal visa procedures or to avoid inadmissibility waiver processing. If you are a refugee not covered by a humanitarian parole program, you should not use it in place of a typical refugee application process. It should never be used in an attempt for long-term access to the United States, because it is a temporary solution to urgent needs only.
If I am given humanitarian parole, can it be revoked early?
Humanitarian parole can be revoked at the discretion of U.S. officials without notice if they think it has served its purpose and is no longer needed or if you haven’t followed the conditions they set with your parole.
Can I work while I am on humanitarian parole?
It is possible for USCIS to grant you a work permit, but that should not be seen as a way to try to manipulate the system so that you somehow get a work visa. Work permits for humanitarian parole are temporary.
Consult An Immigration Attorney About Humanitarian Parole
Contact Warren Law Firm if you need help getting travel documents through humanitarian parole. While humanitarian parole isn’t an immigration status, immigration attorneys are uniquely skilled to help you through the process of dealing with USCIS, ICE, U.S. consulate and U.S. embassy officials.