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, here are some things you can prepare.
1. Valid Passports
The person coming to the United States MUST have a valid passport. NO exceptions. Getting a passport for Venzuelans can be complicated, but USCIS lists what the United States considers a valid Venezuelan passport (under “Eligibility”).
2. Proof of Income and Immigration Status
The financial sponsor in the U.S. should get proof of their income and lawful immigration status. They will need to prove that they have enough income to be responsible for the person coming to the United States. You will need:
- Copies of federal income taxes
- Copies of bank statements
- Passport, certificate of naturalization, or documents showing lawful U.S. status
3. Marriage and Birth Certificates
The person coming to the U.S. can bring:
- A spouse,
- A common law partner, and
- Children
Have marriage certificates and birth certificates for ALL applicants!
4. myUSCIS Accounts
You must create a myUSCIS account. Please make sure that BOTH the financial sponsor AND the person coming to the U.S. have access to the account.
5. Think of Internet or Cellphone Service
Not everyone has good cell or internet service. If the person coming to the United States does not have good cell or internet service, it might be easier for the financial sponsor who is in the United States to be responsible for uploading documents.
However, the person coming to the United States will need to access the myUSICS account to upload photos.
6. Work with an Attorney
Unfortunately, this new process does NOT allow a lawyer to represent you with a “notice of representation”. You must file the I-134A online yourself. However, there are some ways that you could have a lawyer help you with the process:
Create an email address ONLY for this advance parole process, for example, a dedicated Google account and email address. You can share the login information of this account with your lawyer so that you do not need to share personal information on your personal accounts. This way, you can both check on the progress of the application and work together.
When creating a myUSCIS account, share this account with your lawyer if you are comfortable doing so. In this case, 1) the financial sponsor, 2) the person coming to the U.S., AND 3) your lawyer would all need to have login access to this account. myUSCIS also requires 2 Factor Authentication (2FA), so you would all need to agree on the phone number used for this.
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.
How to Enter the U.S.
Click here to learn about how you should enter the United States on the new advance parole process.
Form I-134A
Click here to learn about filling out the Form I-134A, the first step in applying for the new advance parole process.
Last updated: 05-06-2023
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.
