Title 42 has ended and has opened the way for new programs. The Family Reunification Program allows whole family units to immigrate to the United States together. It is aimed specifically at families from Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
The program is available by invitation only to petitioners who filed an approved Form I-130, Petition for an Alien Relative on behalf of someone who is from any of those 4 nations. Family Reunification is essentially a humanitarian parole program: It will not speed up the processing of your I-130 petition, but your family member may earn temporary parole, allowing him or her to live and possibly work in the United States while waiting for the Form I-130 to process.
If you need help immigrating to MA, or helping your family immigrate, contact Boston immigration attorney Giselle M. Rodriguez. She is bilingual (English & Spanish), and works with clients throughout Greater Boston and Massachusetts. Contact Giselle today to discuss your case.
How do you apply for the Family Reunification?
If you have received an invitation, you can file Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter, and Declaration of Financial Support to show that you are ready to care for your relative once he or she arrives. If you are trying to bring multiple family members into the United States, you must submit a separate form for each beneficiary.
If they are granted parole, your family members may wait in the United States and can eventually apply to adjust their status and possibly become permanent residents. Though this program is not a direct path to a green card, it does expedite an immigrant’s ability to reunite with you and live safely in the United States while pursuing a more-permanent status.
If you receive an invitation, you should move quickly: the Family Reunification program has 6-month deadline that you must meet if you wish to apply. Invitations will be arriving by US Mail; if you have a pending I-130 and relatives in one of the 4 supported countries, you should watch your mail closely.
Note: beneficiaries do not apply themselves for this program. Only the petitioner or sponsor may apply via an invitation by USCIS. If you do not have an invitation, you cannot apply, and your application will be rejected, and you may hinder your ability to receive an invitation or apply in the future. If your form I-134A is approved, USCIS will contact your beneficiary and give them their next steps.
Beneficiaries will generally fly directly to their final destination. So if, for example, you live here in Boston, you’ll send your family members plane tickets to fly directly to Boston.
Customs and Border Patrol will inspect their documents, take their fingerprints, and consider them on a case-by-case basis for a discretionary grant of parole. When they receive their initial permission to travel, they are only given leave to travel to the United States to seek parole; the process is not complete until CBP clears them. There is always a chance that CBP will find something amiss and either deny your family member entry or place them into removal procedures.
If you receive an invitation, it is vital for you to work closely with an immigration attorney to help the process go as smoothly as possible. If you haven’t already begun working with one, you can contact my office to get help today.