There may be a situation in which a foreign national needs to enter the United States for a temporary amount of time because of a humanitarian emergency. To accommodate these rare situations, USCIS has created a program that allows those who are otherwise inadmissible to temporarily enter the country. Please continue reading to learn how to apply for a humanitarian parole visa and why connecting with an experienced New Jersey Immigration Lawyer is in your best interest.
What is a Humanitarian Parole Visa?
A humanitarian parole visa is granted to a foreign national to temporarily enter the United States for an urgent humanitarian reason or significant public benefit. Essentially, it allows individuals who are otherwise inadmissible to enter the country for a limited period due to urgent humanitarian reasons, such as a medical emergency or urgent family matter. There is no required specific emergency or humanitarian purpose necessary to apply for humanitarian parole. It’s important to note that this type of parole is not indeed to be used to avoid normal visa processing, bypass inadmissibility waiver processing, or replace established refugee processing channels. It’s intended to allow a foreign national to visit the U.S. for an urgent situation.
How Do I Apply?
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) typically grants humanitarian parole. If the foreign national requesting humanitarian parole is at a port of entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protections has the discretion to issue it.
To apply for U.S. humanitarian parole, you need to complete Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document). It’s important to provide accurate and complete information, including your reasoning for the request and any supporting documentation. You also need to complete Form I-134 (Declaration of Financial Support) which is used to demonstrate that the applicant can financially support themselves during their stay in the county. It’s important to note that for those applying through a country-specific program, financial sponsors must file for I-134A (Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support) instead.
Depending on the specific reason for your humanitarian parole request, you may need to submit supporting documents as USICS will require a detailed explanation of your humanitarian need. This may include medical reports, death certificates, or proof of your family ties to back up your claim. Furthermore, applicants are required to pay a $630 filing fee for Form I-131. There is currently no filing fee for Form I-134. Once you have completed these forms and gathered all the necessary documents, you can submit your application to the appropriate USCIS office. They will review your application and may request additional information if needed.
Unfortunately applying for humanitarian parole doesn’t guarantee approval. As such, it’s in your best interest to contact a determined lawyer from the Law Offices of Aditya Surti, LLC, who can help you gather as much information and documentation as possible to support your request. Connect with our firm today to learn how we can guide you through this complex process.
