July 10, 2023

Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through separate notices, announced the establishment and implementation of a family reunification parole process (FRP) for Colombians, Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Salvadorans. DHS notes that parole is not an admission of the individual to the United States, and a parolee remains an “applicant for admission” during their period of parole. This new parole process is instead intended to reunite families more quickly and offer an alternative to dangerous irregular migration routes through North and Central America to the U.S. by providing a process for certain Colombians, Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Salvadorans and their immediate family members to lawfully enter the United States in a safe and orderly manner. This process will enable FRP beneficiaries to receive work authorization and initial permission to remain in the U.S. for three years. 

The FRP will allow U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to request advance authorization for certain family members to travel to the U.S. to seek parole at an interior point-of-entry. Individuals who are eligible to be considered for parole under this process include nationals of Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador who are beneficiaries of an approved Form I-130 petition (“Petition for Alien Relative”) – as well as their immediate family members – who are outside the United States and who have not yet received an immigrant visa. Under the FRP, the petitioner will be required to provide evidence of their income and assets and commit to provide financial support to the beneficiary named in the request for parole.

To be eligible for consideration for advance travel authorization and parole, a beneficiary must: (1) be outside the United States; (2) be the principal beneficiary (or a spouse or child) of an approved Form I-130; (3) be a national of Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, or El Salvador (or be a non-national spouse/child of a principal beneficiary from one of these countries); (4) have a petitioning relative in the United States who received an invitation from DHS to initiate this FRP process on their behalf; (5) have a U.S.-based petitioning relative who filed a Form I-134A on their behalf that DHS has vetted and confirmed; (6) have not yet been issued an immigrant visa at the time the invitation is issued to the petitioning relative; and (7) have an unexpired passport valid for international travel, or possess alternative acceptable documentation as described in the invitation letter issued to the petitioning relative.

The FRP for Colombians, Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Salvadorans is effective beginning July 10, 2023.

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