On January 5, 2023 the Department of Homeland Security announced a new parole process for nationals for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela and their immediate family members to seek safe haven in the USA due to conditions in their country.
In this parole program nationals from these four countries who are outside of the USA may apply for advance permission to travel to the USA and enter through a grant of parole for a two year period.
The application process is completed online via myUSCIS and requires each person seeking parole to have a US based sponsor who agrees to provide the applicant with financial support for the duration of their stay in the USA. The sponsor must be residing in the USA lawfully and includes US citizens, US permanent residents, nonimmigrants in lawful status, asylees, refugees, and parolees, Temporary Protected status holders, DACA recipients, and beneficiaries of deferred enforced departure. The sponsor should be able show income of at least 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, but it is discretionary for this program and reviewed and case by case basis.
The sponsor files form 1-134A. If approved, USCIS notifies the applicant to create a my USCIS account to verify biographic information (submitted by the sponsor) and attesting to having completed vaccination requirements or being eligible for an exception. Applicants then also need to download the CBP One Mobile App to enter biographic information and submit a live photo to verify identity, which will be used to complete background checks. Once all biographic and medical requirements are satisfied, beneficiaries will receive an approval or denial. If approved, applicants receive a notice in their online account that provides authorization to travel to the United States and be paroled into the country. Applicants are not required to file a Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, or to pay a fee. After being paroled into the USA, the applicant must complete a medical screening for tuberculosis within 90 days of arrival and complete any other vaccine requirements. As a parolee, the applicant may also request employment authorization by filing Form I-765.
The program is to provide a safe and lawful away for nationals from these four countries who are fleeing humanitarian and economic crisis to come temporarily to the USA while also reducing the number of people arriving at the US southern border seeking asylum.