Family Reunification Parole Processes

In May 2023, DHS announced new family reunification parole processes for certain nationals from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and their immediate family members, who have approved family-based petitions filed on their behalf by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

We also updated the existing Cuban and Haitian Family Reunification Parole processes so that they will generally be completed online. In addition, under the updated process, we will no longer require in-person interviews of each beneficiary in Cuba or Haiti. DHS will continue to verify an individual’s identity, determine their eligibility on an individual for the processes on a case-by-case basis, and conduct security vetting.

Historical Background on Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP)

The 1994 and 1995 U.S.-Cuba migration accords commit the United States to ensuring that total legal migration to the United States from Cuba will be a minimum of 20,000 Cubans each year, not including immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. In 2007, USCIS launched the CFRP program (PDF) in part to help the United States meet its annual obligations under the accords.

Historical Background on Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP)

The HFRP Program was created on Dec. 18, 2014, to expedite family reunification through lawful, safe, and orderly channels of migration to the United States, increase existing avenues for legal migration from Haiti, and help Haiti continue to recover from the devastation and damage suffered from the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. We announced our intention to end the HFRP Program in August 2019, but that decision was later reversed. For information on HFRP re-parole, please see uscis.gov/hfrp.

We use the following terms with the family reunification parole processes:

Who Is Eligible

You are eligible to file Form I-134A online to request to be a supporter and initiate the FRP process on behalf of a principal beneficiary, and their immediate family members, if you meet the following requirements:

• You are either a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (have a Green Card);
• You filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for a principal beneficiary and USCIS approved it;
• You received a written invitation from the Department of State to file Form I-134A to request to be a supporter and initiate the FRP process on behalf of the principal beneficiary of your approved Form I-130, and their immediate family members. Please see the "Invitation Process" section on this page for more information. If you have not received a written invitation to apply and you file a Form I-134A, we will not confirm your Form I-134A and the principal beneficiary will not be considered for a discretionary grant of parole under the FRP process; and
• An immigrant visa has not yet been issued to the principal beneficiary at the time you were issued the invitation to file Form I-134A.

For you to request to be a supporter of a beneficiary, and for a beneficiary to ultimately be considered for a discretionary issuance of advance authorization to travel to the United States to seek a discretionary grant of parole, a beneficiary must:

• Be outside the United States;
• Be the principal or derivative beneficiary of an approved Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, or an add-on derivative beneficiary;
• Be a national of a country with a family reunification parole process or a derivative beneficiary of an eligible principal beneficiary;
• Have a petitioning relative (you) in the United States who received an invitation to initiate the FRP process on the beneficiaries’ behalf;
• Not yet have been issued an immigrant visa at the time the invitation was issued to the petitioning relative (you); and
• Have an unexpired passport valid for international travel.

In addition, each beneficiary must receive a medical examination and clearance to travel by a panel physician, undergo and pass national security and public safety vetting, and demonstrate that they otherwise merit a favorable exercise of discretion by DHS. CBP will consider a beneficiary’s previous immigration history, encounters with U.S. government entities, and the results of screening and vetting when determining eligibility to be issued advance authorization to travel to the United States, as well as when determining, on a case-by-case basis, whether to grant parole to the beneficiary at the port of entry.

Who Is Not Eligible

When making these discretionary determinations about issuing an advance authorization to travel and granting parole, DHS will consider a beneficiary to be ineligible under these processes if the beneficiary is pursuing parole under the FRP processes for Colombians, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, or Hondurans, and:

• Has crossed irregularly into the United States, between U.S. ports of entry, after July 10, 2023, except DHS will not consider a beneficiary to be ineligible based on a single instance of voluntary departure pursuant to section 240B of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or withdrawal of their application for admission pursuant to section 235(a)(4) of the INA;*
• Has been interdicted at sea after July 10, 2023;* or
• Has been ordered removed from the United States within the prior five years or is subject to a bar to admissibility based on a prior removal order.*

*Note: These ineligibilities do not apply to beneficiaries under the FRP processes for Cubans or Haitians; however, CBP will consider any beneficiary’s previous immigration history and encounters with U.S. government entities when making a case-by-case determination for parole.

For purposes of these FRP processes, “interdicted at sea” refers to migrants directly interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard from vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction or vessels without nationality, or migrants transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Note for beneficiaries: If you are the beneficiary of an approved Form I-130, you cannot request consideration for family reunification parole for yourself or your family members. Your U.S.-based petitioner who received a written invitation must submit Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, on your behalf.

Spouses and Unmarried Children under Age 21 of the Principal Beneficiary (Derivative Beneficiaries)

If the principal beneficiary’s spouse and unmarried children under age 21 (known as derivative beneficiaries) are named on the approved Form I-130, they may be eligible for family reunification parole. To the extent possible, we will only review the Form I-134A you filed requesting to be a supporter of the principal beneficiary once Form I-134A has also been filed for each derivative beneficiary of the principal beneficiary. If the Form I-134A is confirmed, the derivative beneficiary will only be eligible for an advance travel authorization if we issue an advance travel authorization to the principal beneficiary as well.

If you do not request to be a supporter and initiate the FRP process for the principal beneficiary under family reunification parole, or if we determine that the principal beneficiary is not eligible, the derivative beneficiaries will also not be eligible. You must submit evidence, such as a birth certificate or marriage certificate, as part of the Form I-134A to verify the family relationship between the principal beneficiary and the derivative beneficiary they request to support. The Form I-134A instructs you where to upload this evidence.

Requesting to Add a Spouse or Child to an Approved Form I-130 (Add-on Derivative Beneficiaries)

If a principal beneficiary married or had a child after we approved the underlying Form I-130, you may also file Form I-134A to request to be as supporter and initiate the FRP process for the principal beneficiary’s spouse or child under age 21 (often referred to as add-on derivatives).

The invitation will list the derivative beneficiaries you identified on your approved Form I-130. It will not, however, list add-on derivatives because they were not listed on the underlying Form I-130 you filed and USCIS approved. However, you may still file Form I-134A requesting to be a supporter and initiate the FRP process for each add-on derivative. As with a derivative who was listed in the Form I-130, you must submit evidence, such as a birth certificate or marriage certificate, as part of the Form I-134A to verify the family relationship between the principal beneficiary and the add-on derivative beneficiary you request to support. The Form I-134A instructs you where you should upload this evidence.

Age Limit for Beneficiaries

There is no age limit for a principal beneficiary of a Form I-130. However, any derivative children must be under the age of 21 on the date that we receive the Form I-134A that you file for a derivative child. The invitation will instruct you not to submit a Form I-134A for derivative children who will be 21 years of age or older when you submit the form.

We will not confirm any Form I-134A submitted for derivative children who are 21 years of age or older on the date we receive the form. We will continue to process the Form I-134A for any other beneficiaries, including the principal beneficiary and their spouse and unmarried children under 21.

Circumstances That Could Affect Eligibility

The table below lists circumstances that could affect eligibility for the family reunification parole processes.

If you are eligible to submit Form I-134A to initiate the FRP process on behalf of a beneficiary, you may receive a written invitation by email or mail, which includes a 12-month deadline for applying. The Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC) will email the invitation to petitioners if there is an email address of record associated with the approved Form I-130. If there is no email address of record, the NVC will mail the invitation to the petitioner’s mailing address of record. You must receive an invitation notifying you of your eligibility prior to submitting Form I-134A.

Submitting Form I-134A without an invitation will result in non-confirmation of your submission and the FRP process will not move forward for the beneficiary listed in the Form I-134A.

Use the below tool to confirm whether you have been issued an invitation.

Confirm My Invitation

If the above tool indicates that you have been issued an invitation, but you haven’t received it, contact the NVC through their Public Inquiry Form. Please check your spam and junk email folders before contacting the NVC.

If you are a petitioner who believes you may be eligible, please make sure the NVC has your current contact information and mailing address. To update your contact information or address, you can contact the NVC through their Public Inquiry Form. If your attorney of record is no longer representing you, please inform the NVC.

Invitations will be issued on a rolling basis based on U.S. government operational capacity. If you have not yet received an invitation, you may receive an invitation in the future.

USCIS will send a letter to petitioners who were previously invited and have a pending Cuban Family Reunification Parole case under a previously submitted Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, for a beneficiary awaiting an interview in Havana. The letter will explain how their case will proceed. If you have previously filed a Form I-131 for Cuban Family Reunification and your beneficiary is waiting for an interview in Havana, do not attempt to file Form I-134A until you receive additional information from USCIS. You may also refer to information on the Cuban Family Reunification Parole page.

Beneficiaries cannot directly apply for the family reunification parole processes. Only petitioners who receive an invitation as described in the Invitation Process section above are eligible to submit Form I-134A to request to be a supporter of, and initiate the FRP process on behalf of, the beneficiaries.

After receiving an invitation, you (the petitioner) will submit Form I-134A through your USCIS online account for each beneficiary. The Form I-134A identifies and collects information on both you and the beneficiary. You must submit a separate Form I-134A for each beneficiary you are seeking to support, including minor children. The Form I-134A will also ask you to identify how many members of the family unit you will be filing Form I-134A to request to support. The form will also ask you to clarify which beneficiary is the principal beneficiary of your approved Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. If you do not remember which family member is the principal beneficiary, please refer to the top of your invitation letter where the name of the principal beneficiary is listed.

When submitting Form I-134A, you must establish that you have enough income and assets to maintain the intended beneficiary and the rest of your household at 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. If you cannot establish that you can financially support the beneficiary, you may use co-supporters. If you are filing Form I-134A with a co-supporter, they are subject to the same financial evidentiary requirements and should submit financial evidence such as bank statements, a letter from their employer, and income tax returns. A co-supporter does not have to be a family member and does not file their own Form I-134A, but they do have to demonstrate the ability to assist in supporting the beneficiary for the duration of the parole period. In this case, you will file the Form I-134A and include supplementary evidence demonstrating the identity of, and resources to be provided by, the co-supporter and attach a statement explaining the intent to share responsibility to support the beneficiary. We will assess the collective ability to support a beneficiary based on the information and evidence you provide.

If we deem the Form I-134A sufficient, in our discretion, we will confirm the Form I-134A and send the beneficiary information by email about the next step in the process.

After beneficiaries receive their advance travel authorization, they should arrange to fly directly to their final destination in the United States. When they arrive at an airport in the U.S., CBP will inspect them at an area known as the interior port of entry.  CBP will ask for additional information, including fingerprints, for further background checks and security vetting. CBP will then consider them, on a case-by-case basis, for a discretionary grant of parole. Those who attempt to enter the United States at U.S. land border ports of entry (or ports of entry that are not inside a U.S. airport) will not be considered for parole through this process and will generally be denied entry or placed into removal proceedings.

The key steps in the processes include:

Step 1: Invitation sent to petitioner.

• An invitation may be sent by email or mailed to the petitioner who filed the approved Form I-130 on behalf of the principal and derivative beneficiaries. The petitioner may request to be a supporter of, and initiate the FRP process on behalf of, the beneficiaries only after receiving an invitation.
• The invitation will instruct the petitioner on next steps to initiate this process, including instructions on documentation to include in their Form I-134A. Each invitation will include an identifying number the petitioner must include in the Form I-134A for each beneficiary on whose behalf they wish to request to be a supporter and to initiate consideration for advance authorization to travel to the United States to seek parole at an interior port of entry.

Step 2: Petitioner submits Form I-134A online.

• After receiving an invitation, the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident petitioner who filed the approved Form I-130 on behalf of the beneficiaries will initiate this process by submitting a Form I-134A for each beneficiary with USCIS through the online myUSCIS web portal. The Form I-134A identifies and collects information on both the petitioner and the beneficiary and it is important that the petitioner include accurate information about the beneficiary, including the beneficiary’s email address. The petitioner must submit a separate Form I-134A for each beneficiary they are seeking to support, including derivatives and add-on derivatives of the principal beneficiary, and may include information about co-supporters.
• We will perform background checks on the petitioner and verify that they are able to financially support the beneficiary they are agreeing to support. The petitioner must also submit evidence establishing the family relationships between the principal beneficiary and the derivative beneficiary(ies) in each Form I-134A. If USCIS, in our discretion, confirms the petitioner’s Form I-134A, the FRP process will move forward to the next step of the process.

Step 3: Beneficiary electronically provides information supporting the request.

• If we confirm a Form I-134A, the beneficiary named in that Form I-134A will receive an email from USCIS with instructions on how to create an online account with myUSCIS and information on how to complete the next steps. The beneficiary must confirm biographical information and attest to meeting the eligibility requirements before CBP will consider whether to issue an advance travel authorization to the beneficiary.
• The beneficiary will also need to attest to receiving certain vaccinations, and a medical exam and clearance to travel by a panel physician. The medical exam must be done before the beneficiary can complete the attestations in myUSCIS. DHS will confirm the panel physician’s medical results after receiving the beneficiary’s attestation to determine whether the request for travel authorization can move forward.

Step 4: Beneficiary submits request in CBP One mobile application.

• After the beneficiary confirms their biographical information and completes the required eligibility and medical attestations, USCIS will post instructions in the beneficiary’s online account on how to access the CBP One mobile application (PDF, 771.55 KB). The beneficiary must enter certain biographical information into CBP One and provide a photo.

Step 5: Beneficiary receives advance authorization to travel to the United States.

• After completing Step 4, CBP will, in its discretion, post a notice in the beneficiary’s online account confirming whether CBP determined to issue advance authorization to travel to the United States to seek a discretionary grant of parole, on a case-by-case basis, at the CBP area inside a U.S. airport, which is also referred to as an interior port of entry.
• If approved, this authorization is valid for 90 days. Beneficiaries are responsible for securing their own travel via commercial air to the United States. Approval of advance authorization to travel does not guarantee entry or parole into the United States at a U.S. port of entry. Parole is a discretionary determination made by CBP at the port of entry, based on a finding that parole is warranted due to urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
• Children under age 18 must travel to the United States with and in the care and custody of a parent or legal guardian who is able to provide documentation to confirm the relationship.
• Principal beneficiaries must travel to the United States with or before any derivative beneficiary, as derivative beneficiaries may not be paroled into the United States unless the principal beneficiary is paroled into the United States.

Step 6: Beneficiary seeks parole at the port of entry.

• CBP will inspect each beneficiary arriving at a port of entry inside a U.S. airport under this process and will consider each individual, on a case-by-case basis, for a grant of discretionary parole for a period of up to three years.
• Upon arrival at the airport, the beneficiary will undergo additional screening and vetting, to include additional fingerprint biometric vetting consistent with the CBP inspection process. A beneficiary who is determined to pose a national security or public safety threat will generally be denied parole. A beneficiary who otherwise does not warrant parole as a matter of discretion upon inspection, will be processed under an appropriate processing pathway and may be referred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Step 7: Beneficiary is paroled into the United States.

• A beneficiary granted parole under these processes will generally be paroled into the United States for a period of up to three years, subject to applicable health and vetting requirements.
• A beneficiary granted parole may apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by filing Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, either online or via mail.

After the petitioner files Form I-134A, we will review the form and supporting evidence to ensure that the petitioner has sufficient financial resources to support the beneficiary for the duration of the parole period and conduct background checks on the petitioner. We will also verify the relationship between the principal beneficiary and any derivative beneficiaries. We will determine whether the Form I-134A is sufficient. If confirmed, beneficiaries will receive an email from USCIS with instructions on how to set up a USCIS online account and complete the next steps. Beneficiaries should check their email, including spam and junk folders, for important messages from USCIS.

If Form I-134A Is Sufficient

If we confirm that the Form I-134A is sufficient, the beneficiary will receive an email from USCIS with instructions on how to set up a USCIS online account and complete the next steps. Beneficiaries must confirm their biographical information in their USCIS online account and attest that they have completed all requirements, including:

• An attestation affirming that
  • They are a national of a country with a family reunification parole process and the principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative; or
  • They are the spouse of a principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-130; or
  • They are the child of a principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-130 and are unmarried and under the age of 21.
• An attestation to certify understanding of the family relationship requirements for children under 18, including the requirements that a child under the age of 18 must travel with and in the care and custody of a parent or legal guardian to be eligible to be considered for parole under an FRP process, and that evidence of parentage or legal guardianship must be provided upon arrival at the port of entry.
• An attestation affirming that they have completed a medical examination by a Panel Physician and have no Class A medical conditions.
• Several attestations confirming vaccination status for measles, polio, and COVID-19.

If Form I-134A Is Insufficient

If we are unable to confirm the Form I-134A is sufficient, the decision is final. USCIS will send an email to the petitioner and beneficiary notifying them that we determined the Form I-134A filed by the petitioner was insufficient. We will not consider the beneficiary for parole under this process based on the insufficient Form I-134A. However, the petitioner may file a new Form I-134A and provide additional evidence.

Authorization to Travel to the United States

Once the beneficiary has confirmed their biographical information and attested to completing all other requirements, we will process the beneficiary’s case further. Beneficiaries will receive an email instructing them to check their online account in myUSCIS for the result of their advance authorization to travel. If issued, the authorization is valid for 90 days.

If CBP issued an advance authorization to travel to the United States, beneficiaries must arrange their own travel. Beneficiaries must arrange to fly to a U.S. airport to seek a discretionary grant of parole from CBP and if possible, should arrange to fly directly to their final destination in the United States.

Applying for Employment Authorization

After you (the beneficiary) are paroled into the United States, you are eligible to apply for discretionary employment authorization from USCIS. To apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), you must submit Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, using the (c)(11) category code with the required fee, or apply for a fee waiver.

To file Form I-765 online, eligible applicants will access their USCIS online account at my.uscis.gov.

Applicants who are requesting a waiver of the Form I-765 filing fee must submit the paper Form I-765 by mail with Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver.

Obtaining a Social Security Number and Card

We encourage you (the beneficiary) to apply for a Social Security number (SSN) using Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and following the form instructions. If you request an SSN in Part 2 (Items 13.a-17.b) of your Form I-765, and we approve your Form I-765, we will send that data to the Social Security Administration (SSA), and SSA will assign you an SSN and issue you a Social Security card. SSA will mail your Social Security card directly to the address you provide on Form I-765. SSNs generally are assigned to people who are authorized to work in the United States. SSNs are used to report your wages to the government and to determine your eligibility for Social Security benefits.

If you do not request an SSN on your Form I-765, you can apply for an SSN after you receive your EAD from USCIS using the instructions on SSA’s Social Security Number and Card webpage.

Eligibility for Certain Benefits

Cubans and Haitians who are paroled into the United States under the FRP processes meet the definition of a Cuban/Haitian entrant and may be eligible to receive public benefits. For more information, see section 501(e)(1) of the Refugee Education and Assistance Act (REAA) of 1980.

Address Updates

If you (the beneficiary) are residing in the United States longer than 30 days, you must report your physical address in the United States as a condition of your parole. If your address changes after you enter the United States, you must notify us within 10 days of the change, by either:

• Using our online change of address form; or
• Through your existing USCIS online account (if you have an account). For more information on how to create an online account, visit the How to Create a USCIS Online Account.

Changing your address online will update the address on file with USCIS for each pending application, petition, or request for which you provide a receipt number when filling out the Online Change of Address form. It is important to include the receipt number for any cases pending with USCIS in your address change request, so that we can update the address associated with those cases. We will mail secure documents to the address on file. You can find the receipt number on the receipt notice (Form I-797C, Notice of Action) that we issued after you filed your application, petition, or request. We send receipt notices to the address listed on the application, petition, or request.

Terminating Your Parole

If you (the beneficiary) have already been paroled into the United States, your parole will automatically be terminated if:

• You depart the United States; or
• Your parole period expires.

If you depart the U.S. with an approved Advance Parole Document, you may seek parole back into the U.S. after your travel.

DHS may also decide to terminate your parole upon notice at its discretion for other reasons, such as violating any laws of the United States. We expect you will leave the country when your parole expires or apply for an immigration status for which you may be otherwise eligible. If you stay in the United States after your parole expires and are not otherwise in a period of authorized stay, officials who encounter you may refer you to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigration proceedings.

Leaving the United States

If CBP grants you (the beneficiary) advance authorization to travel, you may present it only once for travel to the United States to seek parole at the U.S. port of entry. After you are paroled into the United States, if you want to leave the United States and then return as a parolee, you must request an Advance Parole Document by filing Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, before traveling outside the United States. If you leave the United States without getting an Advance Parole Document, you may not be able to return and seek parole back into the U.S. For information on how to apply for an Advance Parole Document while you are in the United States, please see the Form I-131 page.

Becoming a Lawful Permanent Resident

We expect beneficiaries who are paroled into the United States under these processes to apply, when eligible, for a Green Card once their visas become available. For more information about applying for a Green Card, please see our Adjustment of Status and Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status pages.

Unlawful Presence

Unlawful presence in the United States can have serious immigration consequences:

• You may not be able to adjust your status if you have been in the United States unlawfully at any time since you arrived as a parolee. This means you would have to leave the United States to apply for an immigrant visa to return to the United States as a lawful permanent resident; and
• If you have been in the United States unlawfully for more than 180 days and you depart the U.S., you may be subject to an unlawful presence bar, depending on your age. This means you may not be allowed to return to the United States for either 3 or 10 years, depending on the length of your unlawful presence, unless you receive a waiver. For more information, visit our Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility page.

If you are subject to an unlawful presence bar, you may apply for a waiver by filing Form I-601A, Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver, before you leave the United States to appear at a U.S. embassy or U.S. consulate for an immigrant visa interview. For more information about applying for a waiver after departing the United States, go to our Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility page.

You may also seek legal counsel or consult with an authorized immigration service provider regarding your situation.

Avoid immigration scams. We do not want you to become the victim of an immigration scam. If you need legal advice on immigration matters, make sure the person helping you is authorized to give legal advice. Only an attorney or accredited representative working for a Department of Justice recognized organization can give you legal advice. Visit the Avoid Scams page for information and resources.

• Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support
• Frequently Asked Questions about Family Reunification Parole Processes
• FRP Invitation Tool
• The Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program
• The Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) Program