July 17th, 2023 at 10:11 am
Biden Administration Allows Families Stuck in Visa Backlogs to Reunite in the US
The Biden Administration’s newly created program enables Central and South Americans caught in the family visa backlog to go to the United States and see their relatives.
The effectiveness of the new programs will rely on the time and money the federal government devotes to them. Programs designed for Cubans (2007) and Haitians (2014) served as inspiration for the new Family Reunification Parole initiatives. This parole is for citizens of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
Federal Government Statutory Authority
The Biden Administration has used parole to permit Afghan and Ukrainian refugees to temporarily enter the country. This was announced in the Federal Register notices officially published this week, announcing the four new programs. Also, the creation, and expansion of legal pathways to the United States instead of coming to the US-Mexico border without authorization.
Additionally, it has used parole to allow up to 30,000 visitors from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to stay for periods of two years each month. People unlikely to have another way to immigrate to the US legally again have possibilities because of these programs.
However, none of them provide a route to permanent status, and each one is transitory. Family reunion parole is only available to those who have a legal method to enter the US and have already received approval to do so. They may remain until eventually issued green cards.
The number of adult offspring of US citizens, unmarried adult children of holders of green cards, and siblings of US citizens who are eligible to receive immigration visas each year has been set by Congress. However, there are seats available even though many more applicants for those visas are accepted.
According to the Federal Register announcements, 32,600 of the 73,500 applicants from the four newly qualified nations are from El Salvador. According to government estimates, they might have to wait up to 15 years for visas if the new parole possibility is not available. However, that does not necessarily mean that all 73,500 of them will suddenly be permitted to enter the country.
Scope of Family Reunification Parole
The number of people the US State Department personally encourages to apply will decide the size of the FRP, similar to its predecessors in Cuba and Haiti. The federal government reviews the backlog of accepted requests for immigration visas submitted by relatives in the country on behalf of their adult children and siblings.
Some of those individuals are then invited to apply for FRP within six months of the invitation. The family members will be permitted to fly into the US and stay while they wait for their immigration visas to become available if they apply promptly. The application for parole is also approved. Just as if they had been waiting outside of the US, they will be granted green cards.
Even though the government warns that it won’t invite everyone eligible, it does not estimate how many individuals to receive an invitation. The number of invites will depend on the operational capabilities of the US government.
Cuban and Haitian FRP
There is cause for concern given the family reunion parole programs in Haiti and Cuba. The number of FRP beneficiaries from Cuba is not made public by the government. Its most recent report on recipients from Haiti revealed that only 8,300 of the 12,500 invitations to apply received acceptance.
The Biden Administration’s agenda brief description. It seeks to divert attention from illegal immigration to clever legal immigration. However, it’s unclear how many individuals have already received approval for upcoming immigration to the US.
It is taught to know how successfully this will achieve the administration’s stated goals without knowing how many people will initially have to apply. The FRP’s implementation may coincide with another recently established administration initiative.
People intend to learn about their choices for obtaining legal status in the US at safe mobility offices. The Biden Administration is utilizing its executive power to fill the gap between what the US immigration system promises by establishing the new FRPs.
Permanent residents and US citizens shouldn’t have to choose between staying in the US, raising their children, and the benefits it consistently provides. However, it is up to the government to determine the progress made in closing that gap.
Family Reunification Program
Queries on the new family reunion program for residents of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
It enables family members of people who have relatives in any of these countries to be able to petition for them. This is possible as long as the family member or the sponsor is a US citizen or legal permanent resident. The Family Reunification Parole program is remarkably similar to the existing program for Cuban and Haitian nationals.
Those who qualify for the program’s benefits can enter the country legally and qualify to apply for work authorization. Many people will soon be able to change their status.
Family Reunification Parole Processes
The enactment of new family reunification parole (FRP) procedures for Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras was announced by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This seeks to advance the Biden-Harris administration’s productive combination of expanded legal immigration routes and stepped-up enforcement to lower irregular migration.
The FRP procedures encourage family unity and are a part of the all-encompassing steps announced in April. The new procedures are only available to nationals of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Applicants must have relatives who are US citizens or lawful permanent residents and receive permission to immigrate to the US.
While they wait to apply for lawful permanent residency, citizens of these nations may receive parole on a case-by-case basis. This parole is for up to three years. Alejandro Mayorcas, Secretary of Homeland Security, stated that these new procedures encourage family unity. They also offer legal avenues consistent with our laws and our values.
Citizens of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (recipients of a Form I-130 petition) for an alien relative qualify for parole consideration. The qualifying beneficiaries must not already have an immigrant visa. Additionally, live outside the United States, and meet all other conditions, such as screening, vetting, and medical standards.
Step-by-Step Application Process
- The Department of State invites the petitioning US citizen or family member. The petitioner must have their Form I-130 granted on behalf of a beneficiary from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras.
Some spouses and children of permanent residents and specific offspring and siblings of US citizens may be beneficiaries. - The invited petitioner can then start the procedure by submitting a request for Advanced Travel authorization and parole. Thus, on behalf of the beneficiary and any qualified family members. The new procedures only permit parole on a discretionary, case-by-case, and temporary basis. This applies if the beneficiary can show that doing so would be in the beneficiary’s best interest. Additionally, there are urgent humanitarian grounds or substantial public benefits.
In principle, those granted parole via these procedures may stay in the country for up to three years. They may apply for work authorization while they wait for their immigrant visa to become available. They may apply to become a lawful permanent resident once their immigrant visa becomes available.
According to immigration and nationality laws, the Secretary of Homeland Security may, at his discretion, parole non-citizens into the country. Thus, for a limited time if it will provide a major public benefit or immediate humanitarian relief.
Visit Newsnowgh.com for the most up-to-date information on changes to visa criteria, prospective paths to obtaining legal residency, and others.