The Haitian flag flies on the Champ de Mars in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where even sidewalk vendors have become scarce due to kidnapping gangs.
jiglesias@elnuevoherald.com
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Friday released details of the new parole program for Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans announced Thursday by President Joe Biden.
Originally created for Venezuelans, the program will allow up to 30,000 nationals from the four countries to enter the United States each month to live and work for up to two years. The process is entirely online and qualified recipients living outside the United States will be chosen on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public interest.
If you want to sponsor a Haitian immigrant or if you are a Haitian on the island of Hispaniola who wants to use this program to live in the United States, here’s how it works and how you can apply.
Who can benefit from this program?
Haitian citizens living outside of the United States (in Haiti or a third country) who do not have citizenship, residency, or refugee status in a third country may be eligible for this program. You can travel with your loved ones. Minor children must travel with at least one parent or legal guardian. If you are Haitian and currently in a third country, if you enter Panama or Mexico without a visa after the announcement of the program on Thursday, January 1. 5, which prevents you from benefiting from this initiative. The same will apply if you cross the US border without authorization after this date.
What do you need to apply?
You will need a sponsor in the United States who agrees to provide you with housing, medical expenses and other expenses during your stay. The sponsor can be a family member, an unrelated person or an organization. You will also need internet access, an email address, a smartphone, a valid passport and money to pay for a ticket to the United States.
What types of questions are asked of sponsors?
Individuals filing Form I-134A to financially support a Haitian citizen seeking to live temporarily in the United States must be physically located inside the United States and complete a separate form for each beneficiary they agree to support, including including minor children under the age of 18. Sponsors will also be asked what kind of support they will provide to the Haitian national during their stay and how they plan to help them learn English or find a job once eligible.
How much income will I need to be a sponsor?
The application form does not specify this. But a potential sponsor will be asked to provide proof of sufficient income or financial resources, and has been able to ensure that the recipient’s health care and medical needs are met during the term of parole at the United States. You will need to submit a copy of your most recent federal tax return; or a statement from an official of a bank or other financial institution with deposits, identifying the date the account was opened, including the current balance; or a statement of your employment on stationery indicating the date and nature of employment; or a list containing the serial numbers and denomination of the bond and the names of the registered owners. Failure to provide proof of sufficient income or financial resources may lead to a refusal.
Do I need to have legal status in the United States to be a sponsor?
U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, those holding legal status such as Temporary Protected Status or asylum, and parolees or recipients of Deferred Action or Deferred Forced Departure, may sponsor a Haitian national to come to the United States under the parole program. You will also need to pass security and background checks for public safety, national security, human trafficking, and exploitation reasons.
What else will I need as a sponsor?
You must have the name of the Haitian national you are seeking to help, their date and place of birth.
If you are in Haiti, how does the program work?
Your sponsor must complete Form I-134A Online Application for Support and Statement of Financial Support and submit the requested documents to verify that they have the necessary financial resources. If the sponsor’s request is approved, you will receive an email from USCIS to create an online account and other instructions. Later, you will receive instructions for downloading the CBP One app.
You will need to provide personal information and a photo and ensure that you have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine and other necessary vaccinations. If the vaccine the Haitian applicant received is not licensed in the United States, you must ensure that upon arrival in the United States you will receive at least one dose of a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration .
Once the information has been verified and the application approved, the Haitian beneficiary will receive a notification to verify their account online. You will receive a “pre-authorization to travel to the United States” valid for 90 days. This authorization is neither a visa nor a parole. It only allows you to arrive at an airport in the United States.
You must pay the airfare and travel expenses to the final destination. This program is not valid at the US border with Mexico; that is, you cannot arrive with prior travel authorization and apply for parole at a land port of entry. After arriving in the United States, the beneficiary must be tested to receive medical screening for tuberculosis, including an interferon gamma release test (IGRA), within 90 days.
Do I have to go to the Embassy of the United States in Port-au-Prince or go to an agency?
No. Everything is done online and on smartphones.
What happens once you arrive at the airport in the United States?
A Customs and Border Protection officer will decide whether or not to grant you parole under this program after further verification, which includes taking biometric data such as fingerprints. As with visas, Citizenship and Immigration Services advises that prior travel authorization approval does not guarantee entry to the United States and that officers have discretion to grant parole” for urgent humanitarian reasons or an important public interest”.
Some of the reasons you could be turned away at the airport include “a threat to the national security or public safety” of the United States.
Can I work after entering the United States?
Yes, you can apply for a social security card and a work permit under this program.
How can my parole be terminated?
If you have ever been paroled in the United States, your parole will automatically terminate if you leave the United States or your period of parole expires. People whose parole has expired are expected to leave the country on their own. Individuals who remain in the United States after their parole ends will generally be placed in removal proceedings.
Is there a cost?
No. And Citizenship and Immigration Services warns potential sponsors and beneficiaries to beware of becoming victims of immigration scams. If you need legal advice on immigration matters, make sure the person is authorized to do so. Only a lawyer or accredited representative working for a Organization recognized by the Ministry of Justice can give you legal advice. Visit the Avoid scams information and resources page.
Nicaraguans can now be granted parole to enter the United States. This is how the program works
Cubans can now obtain parole to enter the United States. This is how the program workss
Venezuelans can still get parole in the United States. This is how the program works
Miami Herald reporter Nora Games Torres contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 7, 2023 4:54 p.m.
Jacqueline Charles has reported on Haiti and the English-speaking Caribbean for the Miami Herald for over a decade. A Pulitzer Prize finalist for her coverage of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she received the 2018 Maria Moors Cabot Prize, the most prestigious award for coverage of the Americas.
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