On Oct. 12, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a safe and lawful way for qualifying Venezuelans with supporters to travel by air to the United States, temporarily reside in the United States, and apply for work authorization.
To be eligible, Venezuelans must:
- Have a supporter in the United States who will provide financial and other support;
- Pass rigorous biometric and biographic national security and public safety screening and vetting; and
- Complete vaccinations and other public health requirements.
Venezuelans are ineligible if they have:
- Been ordered removed from the United States in the previous five years;
- Crossed without authorization between ports of entry after the date of this announcement;
- Irregularly entered Mexico or Panama after the date of this announcement, or are a permanent resident or dual national of any country other than Venezuela, or currently hold refugee status in any country; or
- Not completed vaccinations and other public health requirements.
The Process
Beneficiaries cannot directly apply for this process. A supporter must first complete and file Form I-134 with USCIS on behalf of a Venezuelan beneficiary and include information about them and contact details, such as an email address. If we deem the Form I-134 sufficient, in our discretion, we will send the beneficiary information about the next step in the process to be considered for authorization to travel to the United States and parole consideration at an air port of entry.
Once beneficiaries receive their travel authorization, they should arrange to fly directly to their final destination in the United States. Upon arrival at the interior port of entry, individuals will be inspected and considered for parole. Those who attempt to enter the U.S. at land ports of entry will generally be denied entry.
The key steps in the process include:
Step 1: Financial Support
- A U.S.-based supporter will submit a Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support, with USCIS through the online myUSCIS web portal to initiate the process. The Form I-134 identifies and collects information on both the supporter and the beneficiary. The supporter must submit a separate Form I-134 for each beneficiary they are seeking to support, including immediate family members and minor children.
- USCIS will then vet the supporter to ensure that they are able to financially support the individual they are agreeing to support and to protect against exploitation and abuse. USCIS, in our discretion, must vet and confirm supporters before they move forward in the process.
Step 2: Submit Biographic Information
- If USCIS confirms a supporter, the listed beneficiary will receive an email from USCIS with instructions on how to create an account with myUSCIS and other next steps. The beneficiary must confirm their biographic information in myUSCIS and attest to meeting the eligibility requirements.
- As part of confirming eligibility in their myUSCIS account, individuals who seek authorization to travel to the United States must confirm that they meet public health requirements, including certain vaccination requirements.
Step 3: Submit Request in CBP One Mobile Application
- After confirming biographic information in myUSCIS and completing required eligibility attestations, the beneficiary will receive instructions through myUSCIS on how to access the CBP One mobile application. The beneficiary must enter their biographic information into CBP One and provide a photo.
Step 4: Advance Travel Authorization to the United States
- After completing Step 3, the beneficiary will receive a notice in their myUSCIS account confirming whether CBP will provide them with advance authorization to travel to the United States to seek a discretionary grant of parole on a case-by-case basis.
- If approved, this authorization is valid for 90 days. Beneficiaries are responsible for securing their own travel via air to the United States. Approval of advance authorization to travel does not guarantee entry or parole into the United States at a U.S. port of entry. Parole is a discretionary determination made by CBP at the port of entry, based on a finding that parole is warranted due to urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
Step 5: Seeking Parole at the Port of Entry
- When a beneficiary arrives a port of entry, CBP will inspected them and consider them for a grant of discretionary parole on a case-by-case basis.
- As part of the inspection, beneficiaries will undergo additional screening and vetting, to include additional fingerprint biometric vetting consistent with the CBP inspection process. Individuals who are determined to pose a national security or public safety threat, or otherwise not warrant parole as a matter of discretion upon inspection, will be processed under an appropriate processing pathway and may be referred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Step 6: Parole
- Individuals granted parole under this process generally will be paroled into the United States for a period of up to 2 years, subject to applicable health and vetting requirements, and will be eligible to apply for employment authorization under existing regulations.
- Individuals may request work authorization from USCIS by filing a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Individuals granted parole and eligible to seek work authorization can apply online.