On January 6, 2023, the U.S. government announced a new advance parole process for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who hope to come to the United States and apply for asylum. If you or someone you know is hoping to apply for this program, the first step is filling out the form I-134A.
The I-134A is a Declaration of Financial Support, completed by the financial sponsor in the United States. Here are some important things you need to understand about the form:
Filing the Form I-134A
You MUST file the I-134A online!
Unfortunately, this new process does NOT allow a lawyer to be able to represent you with a “notice of representation”. However, you could have a lawyer help you with the process if you are comfortable sharing account access, email addresses, and passwords.
Financial Sponsor & Beneficiary
The form refers to the financial sponsor in the U.S. as the “Individual Agreeing to Financially Support the Beneficiary”. This person will complete the I-134A.
The “Beneficiary” is the person coming to the U.S. from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, or Venezuela.
“Individual Agreeing to Financially Support the Beneficiary”
(or Financial Sponsor)
The “Individual Agreeing to Financially Support the Beneficiary” MUST be someone with status in the United States. They must be based in the United States AND have some lawful status in the U.S. This includes:
- U.S. Citizens
- Lawful Permanent Residents
- Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Recipients
- Asylees
- Students (with valid visas)
The “Individual Agreeing to Financially Support the Beneficiary” MUST:
It CANNOT be a company, corporation, or an organization. A religious organization could help in meeting financial obligations, for example, but they cannot be the actual sponsor.
The U.S. government does not want people trafficked into the United States and being harmed.
You need to complete one form for each person coming to the U.S., even if they are coming as one family. For example, if you are going to apply for your brother, sister-in-law, and their two children, you must file FOUR I-134As.
You must have enough income to meet the financial obligations of the people coming to the U.S. as well as your own financial obligations.
Beneficiary
The Beneficiary MUST be a specific person. Other humanitarian programs allowed people to agree to sponsor anyone. However, this program requires that the “Individual Agreeing to Financially Support the Beneficiary” sponsors a specific individual person.
Beneficiary CANNOT be:
- Anyone deported/removed from the U.S. in the last 5 years, or
- A citizen of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela AND another country (i.e. dual citizenship in another country), or someone who has lawful permanent residence in any other country.
Tips for filing the I-134A
FAQ
The form will ask for the alien registration number of the Individual Agreeing to Financially Support the Beneficiary. If you are a United States Citizen, leave this blank.
The United States writes dates as month/day/year. For example, 10/05/2000 is October 5, 2000 NOT May 10, 2002.
The form organizes addresses as they are written in the U.S. Write the address you would put on an envelope if you are mailing a letter.
The form asks for a date that the person is coming to the United States. You should put the “start date” for at least 2 months after you submit the I-134A. This will allow Immigration to process the form in time for the beneficiary’s arrival.
The “end date” should be two years after the start date (the duration of the parole status).
Include ALL the names the beneficiary has ever used, including maiden names, nicknames, or a former/first husband’s surname.
Both the financial sponsor and the beneficiary need to sign the form. This does not have to be an original signature with ink. A scan of your signature is fine.
Keep copies of everything that you send in case something gets lost or misplaced by Immigration.
Please follow these links to learn more about the new 2023 advance parole program for Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Introduction
Click here for background information on the new U.S. advance parole process in 2023.
Preliminary Steps
Click here to learn about some of the preliminary steps you should take before considering applying for the new advance parole process.
How to Enter the U.S.
Click here to learn about how you should enter the United States on the new advance parole process.
Last updated: 04-17-2023
Immigration law is always changing. We will do our best to keep our website as up-to-date as possible, but the latest information might be more readily available at USCIS.gov. These pages were written to help you better understand your legal options, however, none of the information published by Catholic Charities Milwaukee should be considered legal advice. If you plan to open your own immigration case, hire an immigration attorney to consult you personally.
