The Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) Program
- English
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.
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.
You can see when your parole period expires on your electronic Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record.
Applying for Lawful Permanent Resident Status/Green Card
We expect individuals paroled under the HFRP Program to apply for a Green Card as soon as their immigrant visa is available—generally within two years of being paroled into the United States. 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).
If... | Then... |
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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. (See the Unlawful Presence section below for more details.) |
Requesting Re-Parole
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; and
- 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 Parole webpage.
If... | Then... |
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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 request, you may not be in an authorized period of stay and you may be accruing unlawful presence. (See 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 three 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.
Applying for Work Authorization
After you are paroled into the United States under the HFRP Program, 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 Program, 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.
At this time, if you have been paroled into the United States under the HFRP Program, you can apply for re-parole if your initial parole period is nearing expiration, unless you are subject to grounds for termination under DHS regulations at 8 CFR section 212.5(e).
This section includes information on-the following topics:
- Eligibility for HFRP
- Invitation Process
- How to Apply
- Processing your Application
- Interview
- After the Interview
Eligibility for HFRP
We use the following terms in the HFRP Program:
Term | Definition |
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Petitioner |
The U.S. citizen or Green Card holder in the United States who filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of a relative living in Haiti, which USCIS approved. Only qualified petitioners can file applications for parole under the HFRP Program. (See the Who is Eligible to Apply section below for more information on who is a qualified petitioner.) |
Beneficiaries |
Family members in Haiti who may benefit from the Form I-130 filed and approved on their behalf, and who may be paroled into the United States if approved under the HFRP Program. Beneficiaries include the principal beneficiary, derivative beneficiaries, and add-on derivative beneficiaries. |
Principal beneficiary |
The Haitian family member for whom a Form I-130 was filed. For example, the principal beneficiary could be a Green Card holder’s spouse or unmarried children under age 21, or a U.S. citizen’s adult son or daughter or sibling. |
Derivative beneficiaries |
The principal beneficiary’s spouse and unmarried children under age 21. They may also be listed on the approved Form I-130. These beneficiaries may be eligible for parole based on their relationship to the principal beneficiary. If we do not approve the principal beneficiary for parole, we will not approve the derivative beneficiaries for parole. |
Add-on derivative beneficiary |
If a principal beneficiary married or had a child after we approved the underlying Form I-130, that spouse or unmarried child under 21 may in some circumstances become an add-on derivative beneficiary and may be eligible for parole based on their relationship to the principal beneficiary. Projected visa eligibility dates are based on the legal category under which we approved the petition. The principal beneficiary must remain eligible for an immigrant visa category. For example, if we approved a beneficiary as the unmarried son or daughter of a lawful permanent resident (F2B category), marriage of the principal beneficiary would result in ineligibility for the immigrant visa, along with any potential derivative beneficiaries. If a beneficiary was approved as the unmarried son or daughter of a U.S. citizen, marriage of the principal beneficiary changes their immigrant visa classification. |
Who Is Eligible to Apply
You (the Petitioner) may request parole for your qualifying relatives in Haiti if you meet the following requirements:
- You are either a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (have a Green Card);
- You filed Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for a Haitian family member and USCIS approved it on or before Dec. 18, 2014;
- An immigrant visa is not yet available for your relative; and
- You received an invitation from the Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC) to participate in the HFRP Program. Please see the Invitation Process section on this page for more information.
If you do not meet all of the above requirements when we adjudicate your application for HFRP benefits, we will deny your application and will not refund your fees.
A qualified petitioner will only be able to apply on behalf of a family member (beneficiary) who is:
- A Haitian national (only applies to the principal beneficiary); and
- The beneficiary of a Form I-130 that we approved on or before Dec. 18, 2014 (including any accompanying or “following to join” spouse or child). For more information, see section 203(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Who is Not Eligible
The following people are not eligible to participate in the HFRP Program:
- Individuals who qualify as immediate relatives, as defined at INA 201(b)(2)(A)(i), at the time of the application for parole under the HFRP Program. Parole will not be available to these individuals because they may immediately seek immigrant visas for travel to the United States once USCIS approves their Form I-130. They do not have to wait for an immigrant visa to become available. (If a Green Card petitioner becomes a U.S. citizen after filing the parole application, any beneficiaries who become immediate relatives as a result are not necessarily disqualified from obtaining parole. See the Circumstances That Could Affect Eligibility section below.) Immediate relatives are:
- Spouses of U.S. citizens;
- Unmarried children under 21 years of age of U.S. citizens; and
- Parents of U.S. citizens over 21 years of age.
- Individuals who are not able to attend an in-person interview in Haiti;
- Beneficiaries of a Form I-130 that we approved after Dec. 18, 2014; and
- Beneficiaries of an approved Form I-130 whose petitioning relatives in the United States have not received an invitation from the NVC indicating that they are eligible to apply for the HFRP Program.
If you are the beneficiary of an approved Form I-130 living in Haiti, you cannot apply to the HFRP Program for yourself or your family members. Your U.S. petitioner must file on your behalf.
Spouses and Children of the Principal Beneficiary (Derivative Beneficiaries)
If the principal beneficiary’s spouse and unmarried children under age 21 (known as derivative beneficiaries) are named on the approved Form I-130, they may be eligible for parole under the HFRP Program. You must file any parole request on their behalf at the same time you file a parole request for the principal beneficiary. They will only be eligible for parole if we approve the principal beneficiary for parole.
If you do not file an HFRP Program application for the principal beneficiary, or if we determine that the principal beneficiary is not eligible for the HFRP Program, their spouse and children will not be eligible for parole under the HFRP Program.
Requesting to Add a Spouse or Child to an Approved Form I-130 (Add-on Derivative Beneficiaries)
If a principal beneficiary married or had a child after we approved the underlying Form I-130, you may file an HFRP Program application on behalf of that principal beneficiary’s spouse or child under 21 (often referred to as “add-on” derivatives).
Add-on derivatives will not be listed on the NVC’s invitation letter. As a qualified petitioner, you may still file an HFRP Program application on their behalf if:
- We receive the add-on applications with the application packet filed for the principal beneficiary; and
- You provide the necessary evidence to establish the qualifying relationship of the add-on derivative relative.
Age Limit for Beneficiaries
There is no age limit for principal beneficiaries of Forms I-130. However, any derivative children must be under the age of 21 on the date that we receive your properly filed application for parole under the HFRP Program using Form I-131. The invitation letter will instruct you not to file HFRP Program applications for derivative children who will be 21 years of age or older when you file your application.
We will deny any Form I-131 submitted for derivative children who are 21 years of age or older on the date we receive the properly filed application. We will not return the associated filing fees.
We will continue to process the applications for any other beneficiaries, including the principal beneficiary and their spouse and unmarried children under 21.
Circumstances That Could Affect Eligibility
The table below lists circumstances that could affect eligibility for the HFRP Program.
Haitians living outside Haiti |
The HFRP Program is intended for Haitians in Haiti, but Haitians living outside of Haiti may still be eligible. If the beneficiary is in the United States or another country, they must travel to Haiti for an HFRP Program interview to be considered for parole. Beneficiaries in the United States, including those with temporary protected status (TPS), who decide to travel to Haiti for their interview should first obtain advance parole from USCIS. Without advance parole, they may not be able to return to the United States if we deny their HFRP Program application. If the principal beneficiary is in the United States or another country and will not return to Haiti for interview under the HFRP Program, you should not file for the principal beneficiary’s derivative relatives in Haiti because we will deny these applications. We can only approve derivative family members for parole if we approve the principal beneficiary. |
Becoming a U.S. citizen |
If you have a Green Card and become a U.S. citizen after you have properly filed your HFRP Program application with USCIS, beneficiaries of your immigrant visa petition might become immediate relatives as a result and have an immigrant visa immediately available to them. You may, however, choose to have your immediate relatives continue to be processed for parole. Alternatively, you may choose to have them processed for immigrant visas after payment of all applicable immigrant visa fees. If you become a U.S. citizen before you apply for the HFRP Program, we will deny any applications filed on behalf of your immediate relatives. (See the Who is Not Eligible section above.) |
Marriage |
A change in the marital status of a Form I-130 beneficiary relative could affect their eligibility for an immigrant visa, and therefore for the HFRP Program. Married relatives who are not eligible for the HFRP Program include:
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Invitation Process
If you are eligible to apply for the program on behalf of your relatives in Haiti, you will receive an invitation letter from the NVC, which includes a deadline for applying. We will mail the invitation to the last address that the NVC has for you. You must receive notification from the NVC of your eligibility to apply for the HFRP Program before you submit your application.
The number of invitations sent each year depends on the number of beneficiaries whose visas are expected to be available within approximately 18-42 months from the date the invitations are sent. The number of invitations sent each year may be limited based on U.S. government operational capacity in Haiti and the availability of U.S. government resources to aid program beneficiaries.
If you are a petitioner who believes you may be eligible for the HFRP Program, please make sure that the NVC has your current mailing address. You can contact the NVC through their Public Inquiry Form. If your attorney of record is no longer representing you, please inform the NVC.
How the NVC Issues Invitations
Under the HFRP Program, the NVC will issue written invitations to petitioners of approved Forms I-130 based on the date when USCIS expects immigrant visas for their family members to become current. The NVC will identify approved Forms I-130 with filing dates (priority dates) that are expected to become current in approximately 18-42 months and will issue invitations to U.S. petitioners.
You will not be invited to apply for the HFRP Program if:
- You have less than 18 months to wait from the time invitations are issued before your family members are expected to receive their immigrant visas, because it is likely that they will be able to immigrate to the United States almost as quickly through traditional immigrant visa processing. For example, your spouse in Haiti would not be eligible for an invitation now if:
- They are the beneficiary of a Form I-130 that we approved before the HFRP Program’s announcement; and
- Their visa is expected to become available within seven months.
- Your family members’ immigrant visas will not become available for more than 42 months from the time invitations are issued. For example, your sister in Haiti would not be eligible for an invitation now if:
- She is the beneficiary of a Form I-130 that we approved before the HFRP Program’s announcement; and
- Her visa will not become available for four years.
However, she may be eligible for an invitation once her visa priority date is within approximately 18-42 months.
How to Apply
Do NOT apply for the HFRP Program until the NVC invites you to do so. Potential beneficiaries in Haiti cannot apply for themselves.
While the HFRP Program offers the potential for your family members to join you in the United States while waiting for their immigrant visas to become available, the program is not right for everyone.
Before applying on behalf of your relatives, please consider the following information:
- We cannot predict how much faster your family may join you under the HFRP Program as compared to the normal immigrant visa process (without parole). How quickly your relative joins you in the United States will depend on factors such as how soon their visa will be available, how quickly you apply for the HFRP Program on their behalf, whether we require additional information from you to establish their eligibility for the program, and how soon your relative travels to the United States after approval.
- We expect individuals paroled into the United States under the HFRP Program to apply for a Green Card once their visa becomes available. We anticipate that visas for HFRP Program beneficiaries will become available within about two years after they are paroled into the United States. To apply for a Green Card, each beneficiary (the principal beneficiary as well as any derivative beneficiaries) must file a separate Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Resident or Adjust Status, and pay the filing fee.
- Petitioners must file HFRP Program applications for all family members associated with the same underlying approved Form I-130 at the same time. We will only consider derivative beneficiaries on a Form I-130 for parole if we approve the principal beneficiary on that Form I-130 for parole. Derivative beneficiaries are not eligible for the HFRP Program on their own, and we will deny any Form I-131 applications you file on their behalf if we do not approve the principal beneficiary for parole.
- Derivative children listed on the approved Form I-130 who are already 21 years of age or older, or who will be before you properly file an HFRP Program application with us, will not be eligible for the HFRP Program. We consider the date an application is filed as the date it is received by the USCIS office listed on the NVC invitation letter. If you file an application on behalf of a derivate child and we receive it after the child has reached 21 years of age, we will deny your application.
- Applying for the HFRP Program may not provide faster family reunification for petitioners who have a Green Card and expect to naturalize within a year. Once a Green Card holder becomes a U.S. citizen, immigrant visas for their spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age will be immediately available. Even if they are invited to apply to the HFRP Program, Green Card holders who are close to becoming U.S. citizens should not submit their Form I-131 without first carefully weighing the costs and benefits of the HFRP Program versus immigrant visa processing (without parole).
Preparing Your Application Packet
If you lose the written invitation the NVC sent you, we may still accept your application packet. However, you must submit all other required documentation when you file your application packet with the USCIS lockbox.
You cannot apply to the HFRP Program until you receive an invitation from the NVC. If you apply for the program and are not eligible, we will deny your application and will not refund your filing fees.
If you wish to have your relatives considered for the HFRP Program, you must follow the HFRP Program-specific application instructions in the NVC letter (also listed below) and submit the following required documentation to the lockbox by the filing deadline indicated in the letter:
- Complete a separate Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, for each family member eligible to participate in the HFRP Program;
- Complete parts 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 of Form I-131;
- Part 1 requests information about you, the petitioner;
- Under Part 2, Application Type, check box 1.F, I am applying for an Advance Parole Document for a person who is outside the United States;
- Items 2.A-2.P request information about your family member, the beneficiary;
- Under Part 8, sign it yourself, as the petitioner;
- Write “HFRP” in capital letters at the top of the Form I-131;
- Include two passport-style photos of the family member;
- Include a photocopy of your Form I-797, Notice of Action, your Form I-130 approval notice, or a printout from Case Status Online, which shows the approval;
- Include the applicable fee or a fee waiver request. (You may request a fee waiver by submitting Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver. For more information, see our Fee Waiver Guidance page.);
- Complete a separate Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support, with supporting documents for each family member. You may submit Form I-134 Declaration of Financial Support from multiple sponsors to show there is sufficient income or financial resources to support each family member; and
- A copy of the NVC invitation letter.
Submitting Your Application Packet
You must file for all eligible relatives associated with the same approved Form I-130 at the same time so we can process them together. Mail everything in one package to the USCIS Chicago Lockbox:
For U.S. Postal Service (USPS) delivery:
USCIS
P.O. Box 8500
Chicago, IL 60680-4120
For FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: HFRP
131 S. Dearborn, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517
If you do not submit these applications together, it affects our ability to determine eligibility, and we may deny all or some of the related applications.
You cannot file your application through our online filing system at this time.
Note: For re-parole requests, please see the subsection “Current Parolees in the United States”.
Deadline for Applying
The HFRP Program has a deadline because the benefits are time-sensitive. Your application deadline will be included in your invitation from the NVC, but generally, you will have six months from the date of the NVC invitation letter to file.
Processing Your Application
After you mail your package to the USCIS lockbox, we will forward it to a USCIS service center for adjudication. The service center will verify that the package was filed by a qualified petitioner, meaning you received an invitation to apply to the program. In addition, the service center will review the documentation and determine whether the beneficiary qualifies for parole. The service center may request additional evidence, deny, or conditionally approve your application.
If the service center conditionally approves your application, they will forward it to the NVC. They will notify you within 60 days that they have received your case.
If we deny the Form I-131 you filed under the HFRP Program, the decision is final. However, the beneficiary may still be eligible for immigrant visa processing based on the approved Form I-130 filed on their behalf. When the beneficiary’s immigrant visa becomes available, they can contact the NVC to apply for an immigrant visa.
It may take approximately six months to process an HFRP application from the time we receive your application to receiving a travel document. The time to reach a decision on a case will vary depending on the issues raised and whether we require additional evidence. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our normal operations, including those of our overseas partners who assist with case processing. This means case processing may take longer than usual.
Request for Evidence
If the service center finds that your application lacks required evidence or that additional evidence or information is required, they will send you a Request for Evidence (RFE). You must provide the requested evidence, or establish that the evidence is not available and submit secondary evidence in its place. We may deny your application if you do not respond to the RFE within the required time frame.
Beneficiary Interview
Do not try to schedule an appointment directly with the U.S. Embassy in Haiti.
The NVC will contact you and the principal beneficiary regarding any additional requirements and will schedule an interview for the beneficiary. On the date of interview, the principal beneficiary and derivative beneficiaries will be interviewed to verify their identities and confirm their eligibility for parole under the HFRP Program.
If you forget the date of your family member’s interview, you may contact the NVC through their Public Inquiry Form.
Preparing for the Interview
On the date of their interview, beneficiaries should bring:
- A government-issued form of identification;
- Their unexpired passport;
- Original civil documents supporting their eligibility for the program, in addition to certified English translations of these documents;
- Medical examination results; and
- A copy of their interview schedule appointment notice.
They should present these documents to the officer for review on the date of interview. The interview appointment notice will contain additional information on the documentation beneficiaries need and instructions on obtaining the medical exam.
The INA gives us the authority to use our discretion to authorize parole for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. We will not authorize parole for individuals who have committed serious crimes or who fail to pass background checks.
After the Interview
Beneficiaries should not take any permanent actions such as selling or buying property, terminating employment, or withdrawing from school until they have their HFRP parole travel document in their hands.
If travel is approved:
- U.S. embassy staff will issue the necessary travel documents to the beneficiary in Haiti. These travel documents will enable the beneficiary to travel to the United States and request parole from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at a port of entry;
- Beneficiaries traveling to the United States under the HFRP Program must arrange and pay for their own travel; and
- Once in the United States, we expect beneficiaries to apply for a Green Card as soon as their immigrant visa becomes available. See the Current Parolees in the U.S. section for more information.
If travel is not approved:
We will send the petitioner a written notification listing the beneficiaries who are not approved for travel to the United States.
If we deny parole:
- Our decision to deny parole is final, and there is no right of appeal;
- If we deny parole for the beneficiary, they may still be eligible for immigrant visa processing based on the approved Form I-130 filed on their behalf. If the beneficiary is still eligible to apply for an immigrant visa, they may do so when their immigrant visa becomes available; and
- In certain circumstances, the reason we denied parole may also cause us to revoke the approval of the beneficiary’s underlying Form I-130. If we revoke Form I-130 approval, the beneficiary will no longer be eligible for an immigrant visa. We will make these determinations on a case-by-case basis, and we will provide a written notice.
Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole
Individuals in Haiti who are not eligible for the HFRP Program and who have urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons to come to the United States may be eligible to apply for parole under the standard parole process.
For more information on how to apply for parole through the standard parole process, see our Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole page.
You must file a Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, and pay the filing fee for each HFRP Program application you submit for a family member, or apply for a fee waiver. Fees are subject to change, so you should check the USCIS fee schedule before filing any petition or application. You must also cover all costs associated with attending an interview in Port-au-Prince, including completion of a medical examination and travel to the United States.
To work in the United States, HFRP Program beneficiaries will have to file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and pay the filing fee after arriving in the United States. Applicants may request a fee waiver by submitting Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver. For instructions, please see our Fee Waiver Guidance.
We expect your relatives, as beneficiaries of this program, to apply for a Green Card once their visas become available. We anticipate visas for HFRP Program beneficiaries will become available within approximately two years after they are paroled into the United States.
Your relatives must pay a fee to apply for a Green Card. To apply for a Green Card, they must file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, and pay the filing fee once their visa is available. No fee waiver is available.
The total cost to obtain work authorization and get a Green Card, if you are first paroled into the United States under the HFRP Program (including the cost of the HFRP Program application), will be approximately $2,210. In comparison, the cost for an individual to enter the United States with an immigrant visa is approximately $665. An individual entering as an immigrant obtains a Green Card upon admission and is authorized to work, so there are no additional costs to apply for work authorization.
In rare cases, an individual’s immigrant visa may become available while their case is being processed under the HFRP Program. In those cases, they may continue to be processed for parole, or they may choose to be processed by the Department of State for an immigrant visa. They will be required to pay any fees associated with that process, and we will not refund the HFRP Program application fee.
The table below explains the total fees you will pay depending on how you come to the United States and obtain a Green Card.
If you come to the United States: | Then file: | And pay: | Total cost per person* |
---|---|---|---|
Through the HFRP Program, then file to adjust your status |
|
$575 $410 $1,225 |
$2,210 |
Through an Immigrant Visa |
|
$325 $120 $220 |
$665 |
*Fees valid as of Sept. 28, 2021, and are subject to change. You may request a waiver for some fees.
** You do not need to file Form I-765 to obtain a Green Card. However, if an HFRP beneficiary wishes to work in the United States before obtaining their Green Card, they must apply for discretionary work authorization.
The costs are associated with the immigration paths outlined in the table to obtain a Green Card and are not meant to represent any other costs or benefits that may be associated with parole or lawful permanent resident status in the United States.
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:
- The NVC will only contact you in writing and will only send correspondence to an address in the United States. The NVC began contacting eligible petitioners in the United States beginning in March 2015. We did not authorize any contacts or requests before this date. Please visit our Report Immigration Scams page to learn more about reporting suspicious correspondence.
- 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.”
- 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
- HFRP Eligibility Tool
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