The Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan Parole Program (CHNV) is a new initiative by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that allows nationals of these four countries and their immediate family members to be paroled (allowed) into the United States on a case-by-case basis for up to two years. Parole is a temporary grant of admission that does not give any permanent immigration status or benefits but, if admitted, allows the parolee to apply for employment authorization, commonly known as a work permit.
How can you apply for the CHNV program?
To apply for the CHNV program, you need to follow these steps:
There is no application fee for this program.
You must be a US sponsor who commits to financially support the parolee(s) for the duration of their stay in the United States. The sponsor is the individual who completes the initial CHNV petition. See the below section titled “What are the financial requirements to be a sponsor for this program?”
Register online at https://www.uscis.gov/i-134a. You will need to complete USCIS Form I-134A online for each parolee you are sponsoring (a parolee does not have to be an immediate family member) and provide basic personal and financial information about yourself, the individual, and their family members (spouse or common-law partner and unmarried children under 21) who are also seeking parole.
Wait for USCIS to review your registration and notify you by email if your Form I-134A has been “confirmed,” or approved by USCIS.
If approved, the parolee must submit additional information and documents online within 30 days of receiving the notification email from USCIS. They will need to provide evidence of the parolee’s identity and submit to a criminal background check through the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One App https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/CBP_One-QRG-Traveler-Air-Advance_Travel_Authorization.pdf, as well as attestations as to certain vaccine requirements. See the sample vaccination page here: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/processes-for-cubans-haitians-nicaraguans-and-venezuelans/vaccine-attestation
If approved for parole, the parolee will receive a travel authorization document that allows them to board a flight bound for the United States within 90 days of issuance.
After arriving at a designated port of entry in the United States, the parolee will be inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers who will verify their identity, travel authorization document, and parole eligibility before granting them admission into the country as a parolee for up to two years.
You may apply for employment authorization (work permit) for the parolee(s) after they enter the United States by filing Form I-765 https://www.uscis.gov/i-765 with USCIS.
What documents are necessary to support your application (Form I-134A)?
The documents that are necessary to support your application depend on your specific situation, but generally include:
Proof of the sponsor’s immigration status, such as Legal Permanent Resident card, US birth certificate, or naturalization certificate.
Various financial documents to show that the sponsor can support the parolee(s) for the duration of their stay in the United States (see below).
For parolee, a valid passport or other travel document issued by the country of nationality.
What are the financial requirements to be a sponsor for this program?
To be a sponsor for this program, you need to be a person in the United States with lawful immigration status who can demonstrate sufficient financial resources to support the beneficiary (the person seeking parole) for whom you are applying. USCIS generally determines the income necessary to demonstrate sufficient financial support by referring to the poverty guidelines, found here: https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p
When you file Form I-134A, you will need to provide information about yourself and the beneficiary/parolee, such as name, address, date of birth, relationship, income, and assets. You also need to upload supporting documents, which may include documents like:
A letter from your employer confirming your current employment
Tax returns
Bank statements or a letter from your bank conforming the current account balance
Pay stubs
W2s
You need to submit a separate Form I-134A for each beneficiary you are seeking to support, and you must have a high enough income to support each subsequent parolee by referencing the USCIS poverty guidelines and household size.
USCIS will review your Form I-134A and notify you by email if you are confirmed or approved as a sponsor. If approved, you will receive an email with instructions on how to share your approval notice with your beneficiary so that they can proceed with their application for parole.
Additional Information
More information about the parole program from USCIS may be found here: https://www.uscis.gov/CHNV
USCIS also has answers to common questions about the program here: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-processes-for-cubans-haitians-nicaraguans-and-venezuelans
For general questions or inquiries about status of a Form I-134A, you can send a secure message from your USCIS account or call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).
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