USCIS Announces In-Country Refugee/Parole Processing for Minors in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala (Central American Minors – CAM)
The Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are pleased to announce a new in-country refugee and parole program for certain qualified minors in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
This Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee/Parole Program was established to provide a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that some children are currently undertaking to the United States.
Who is Eligible?
The program allows certain parents who are lawfully present in the U.S. to request access to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for their children still residing in one of these three countries. Applicants who gain access to the program, but are found ineligible for refugee status will be considered on a case-by-case basis for parole into the United States.
Application Process
The CAM program began accepting applications on December 1, 2014. Certain parents who are lawfully present in the U.S. are eligible to file a form requesting access to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for their children. A qualifying parent in the U.S. may file form DS-7699 Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) for Minors Who Are Nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras (CAM-AOR). This form may only be accessed and completed with the assistance of a designated resettlement agency.
For additional information please visit USCIS.gov. For a listing of resettlement agencies where the CAM-AOR may be filed, as well as additional information about the program, please visit the Department of State’s Refugee Processing Center’s website.