The Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC) started issuing invitations under the Family Reunification Parole Processes (FRP) for Columbia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras on July 31, 2023.
Announced on July 7, 2023, by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the FRP processes are available by invitation only to certain petitioners whose Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative, filed on behalf of a principal beneficiary who is a national of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras, has been approved. Nationals of these countries can be considered for parole on a case-by-case basis for a period of up to three years while they wait to apply to become a lawful permanent resident. In the meantime, they will be able to apply for permission to work.
Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis and only for urgent humanitarian reasons or for certain public benefit, within the parameters of the executive branch’s parole authority. To be considered, qualifying beneficiaries must be outside the United States and fulfill all requirements, including screening, vetting, and medical criteria. Additionally, they must not have already been issued an immigrant visa.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said, “These new processes promote family unity and provide lawful pathways consistent with our laws and our values. The Department has proven that the expansion of safe, orderly, and lawful pathways, combined with strong enforcement, is effective in reducing dangerous, irregular migration to the United States.”
These processes are intended to provide a safe, orderly way for beneficiaries and their immediate family members to be considered for parole into the United States on a case-by-case basis. The invitations are being mailed or emailed to the petitioner and identify the family members who are eligible for consideration. Invitations are sent on a rolling basis based on operational capacity and the expected period of time until the principal beneficiary’s immigrant visa becomes available, and in a consistent manner to ensure process integrity.
The USCIS has also announced that more information about the FRP processes and invitations for Cuba and Haiti is coming soon.
For more information about the process, please check the official webpage of USCIS or call us at 216-279-3984.
