The Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) Program
- English
ALERT: DHS Implements Modernized Family Reunification Parole Process for Haitians
On Aug. 11, 2023, DHS implemented the modernized Haitian family reunification parole (HFRP) process so that the process will generally be completed online. Under the updated process, petitioners with an approved Form I-130 who receive an invitation may submit Form I-134A on behalf of each eligible beneficiary. Under this HFRP process, eligibility will be expanded to include Haitian principal beneficiaries of Form I-130 and their immediate family members who have not yet received an immigrant visa, regardless of the date on which USCIS approved the Form I-130. For more information about the updated process, please see our Family Reunification Parole Processes page.
The Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) Program was established in 2014 to allow certain eligible U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to apply for parole for their family members in Haiti. If granted parole, these family members could come to the United States before their immigrant visa priority dates became current. Once in the United States, these noncitizens can apply for discretionary work authorization while they wait to apply for lawful permanent resident status.
On Aug. 11, 2023, DHS implemented the modernized HFRP process. For more information about the updated process, please see our Family Reunification Parole Processes page.
The information on this webpage is only relevant to individuals who have already been paroled into the United States under HFRP
Parole is not an immigrant visa, and it is not the same as having lawful permanent resident status (a Green Card). Parole is temporary and allows you to be lawfully present in the United States during your parole period and to apply for discretionary employment authorization. If you have been paroled into the United States under HFRP, you can apply for re-parole if your initial parole period has expired or is nearing expiration. See the Requesting Re-Parole section below.
Applying for Work Authorization
After you are paroled into the United States under the HFRP process, you are eligible to apply for discretionary employment authorization from USCIS.
To apply for discretionary employment authorization, you must submit Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with the required fee, or request a fee waiver by filing Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver.
If you ever worked without authorization in the United States, you may be barred from applying for a Green Card in the United States. In this case, you will need to apply and be processed overseas for an immigrant visa instead of applying for a Green Card in the United States.
Eligibility for Certain Benefits
After you are paroled into the United States under the HFRP process, you meet the definition of a Cuban/Haitian entrant and may be eligible to receive public benefits. For more information, see section 501(e)(1) of the Refugee Education and Assistance Act (REAA) of 1980.
You will be eligible to apply for benefits and services from the date you first enter into Cuban/Haitian status. This is the date you enter the United States with parole.
Terminating Your Parole
If you have already been paroled into the United States, your parole may automatically terminate if:
- You depart the United States; or
- Your parole period expires.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may also decide to terminate your parole for other grounds, such as violating any laws of the United States.
We expect individuals paroled under the HFRP process to apply for a Green Card as soon as their immigrant visa is available. It is your responsibility to keep track of when your immigrant visa becomes available. We do not send you a notice to alert you when your immigrant visa is available, nor do we track if any derivative beneficiaries have “aged out” of their eligibility for a Green Card and may need a new petition filed on their behalf. (See our Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) page for more information.)
Please see the information (PDF, 186.71 KB) on how to check if your immigrant visa is available in English or Haitian Creole (PDF, 189.21 KB)
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You should apply for a Green Card by filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, along with filing any required forms and initial evidence, including but not limited to:
For more information on required initial evidence, please visit the Form I-485 webpage. You should consider requesting re-parole if your immigrant visa processing may not be complete by the time your parole period expires. If your parole period expires before you obtain an immigration status, and you have not requested or obtained re-parole, then you will generally not be eligible to adjust your status to become a permanent resident, even if your immigrant visa is available. You may also accrue unlawful presence. (See the Unlawful Presence section below for more details.) |
| You filed Form I-485 and it is pending | You should consider requesting re-parole before your current parole period expires. If we reject or deny your Form I-485, you may accrue unlawful presence if your parole period has expired, and you have not obtained re-parole and are not otherwise in a period of authorized stay. (See the Unlawful Presence section below for more details.) |
| You filed Form I-485 and we rejected or denied it | You may be in an unauthorized period of stay and you may be accruing unlawful presence if your parole period has expired and you have not obtained re-parole. You should consider requesting re-parole. Even if your parole period has expired, you can seek re-parole before filing another Form I-485. (See the Requesting Re-Parole section and the Unlawful Presence section below for more details.) |
Unlawful Presence
Unlawful presence in the United States can have serious immigration consequences:
- You may not be able to adjust your status if you have been in the United States unlawfully at any time since you arrived as a parolee. This means you would have to leave the United States to apply for an immigrant visa to return to the United States as a lawful permanent resident; and
- If you have been in the United States unlawfully for more than 180 days, you may be subject to an unlawful presence bar, depending on your age. This means you may not be allowed to return to the United States for either 3 or 10 years, depending on the length of your unlawful presence, unless you receive a waiver. For more information, visit our Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility page.
If you are subject to an unlawful presence bar, you may apply for a waiver by filing Form I-601A, Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver, before you leave the United States to appear at a U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate for an immigrant visa interview. For more information about applying for a waiver after departing the United States, go to our Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, page.
You may also seek legal counsel or consult with an authorized immigration service provider regarding your situation.
If you have been paroled into the United States under HFRP, you can apply for re-parole if your initial parole period has expired or is nearing expiration, unless you are subject to grounds for termination under DHS regulations at 8 CFR section 212.5(e). You can see when your parole period expires on your electronic Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record.
To request a new parole period (re-parole), you must:
- File a new Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, and pay the required fee (or request a fee waiver);
- Check Box 1.f. in Part 2 of the form;
- Write “HFRP re-parole” across the top of the application or indicate “HFRP re-parole” within your e-filed Form I-131;
- Include a new Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support, and any evidence to support re-parole, including an explanation and supporting documents demonstrating the need for an additional authorized parole period; and
- Mail your request to the address listed in the “Re-Parole” section on the Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole for Individuals Outside the United States page or e-file your application through your USCIS online account. (Do not mail an application for re-parole to the PO Box 8500 address that you used for your initial HFRP application.)
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| Your parole period is about to expire and you have not requested or obtained re-parole or are otherwise in an authorized period of stay | You must request re-parole to remain lawfully in the United States. We will consider re-parole requests on a case-by-case basis under the same terms as the initial parole under the HFRP Program. You should submit your request at least 90 days before your parole expiration date to allow time for processing. |
| Your parole period has already expired, but you have not requested re-parole or a Green Card and are not otherwise in an authorized period of stay | You may not be in an authorized period of stay; however, you may still request re-parole. You should submit a complete request for re-parole as soon as possible. If we approve your request, you may be eligible to apply for a Green Card when your immigrant visa is available. However, if we deny your re-parole request, you may not be in an authorized period of stay and you may be accruing unlawful presence. (See the Unlawful Presence section above for more details.) |
See the family reunification parole processes page for more information on applying for parole under the modernized family reunification process for Haitians. USCIS is no longer accepting Form I-131 for initial HFRP requests.
The HFRP Program was created on Dec. 18, 2014, to expedite family reunification through safe, legal, and orderly channels of migration to the United States, increase existing avenues for legal migration from Haiti, and help Haiti continue to recover from the devastation and damage suffered in the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake.
Although we announced in August 2019 our intention to end the HFRP Program, we no longer plan to terminate the program.
It is helpful to remember:
- USCIS and the Department of State strongly urge you and your family members to remain vigilant about the possibility of individuals who claim to be U.S. government representatives asking for money. These individuals, or “scammers,” may attempt to trick you into paying them by offering to help file applications for the HFRP Program. To learn more about common immigration scams and how to report scammers, please visit our Avoid Scams page.
- Websites ending in “.gov” are official government websites. Information on official U.S. government websites ending in “.gov” is official and correct. Official U.S. government email addresses also end in “.gov,” and you should be suspicious of any correspondence coming from an address that does not end with “.gov.”
- Family Reunification Parole Processes
- The Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) Program (Haitian Creole)
- How to check if your immigrant visa is available (English) (PDF, 185.1 KB)
- How to check if your immigrant visa is available (Haitian Creole) (PDF, 189.21 KB)
- Department of State Visa Bulletin
- Child Status Protection Act (CSPA)
- USCIS fee schedule
- Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver
- Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility
Forms
- Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
- Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
- Form I-864, Affidavit of Support
- Form I-131, Application for Travel Document
- Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
- Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization
- Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility
- Form I-601A, Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver