The Biden administration’s new process for Haitian and other immigrants for temporary work requires financial sponsorship and encourages transitional support. President Biden’s new parole program for migrants is a hit inside Haiti, where people there are rushing to get passports to become eligible. But policy advocates in South Florida say the effort has so far been complicated by misinformation inside the Haitian community. According to the government, the Biden administration parole program will let 30,000 migrants a month from Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Haiti enter the U.S. for two years if they apply for it in their home country — and not make the dangerous trips which have overwhelmed U.S. southern border and the Florida Keys. As a stick to the policy’s parole carrot, migrants from those countries who enter the U.S. illegally will now be automatically expelled. HCP is committed to getting up-to-date and accurate information to our community.
The following is based on announcements by DHS and the White House and are subject to change as more details are released.
Program application basics
- To become a financial supporter, an aspiring sponsor must initiate the process by completing Form I-134A. The application process is free and must be completed online, according to the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), a DHS agency. [See below for step-by-step details]
- Fluent English speakers should be able to complete the form in less than one hour if they have all the necessary documents handy.
- How long the government will take to process the influx of applications is not yet known. The government’s website does not say.
Important Note: The person sponsored, also referred to as the beneficiary, must follow a separate process to secure a visa to enter the U.S. if their sponsor is approved. - U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents — people who have been granted a Green Card, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), asylum relief, deferred action or Deferred Enforced Departure — may become sponsors. (Click) Organizations or multiple individuals for one beneficiary are also eligible.
- A supporter must reside in the U.S. and support each potential immigrant financially — even children under 18 — as an individual beneficiary for the duration of the parole period. The status usually lasts one year, sometimes two.
- The USCIS website for Form I-134A does not indicate a specific income level or financial resources required of a supporter. However, Emanuel Depas, a New York-based immigration attorney, said that in past immigration sponsorship cases, a sponsor’s annual income would need to be at 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. As of March 2022, if there were two in the sponsor’s household, that would mean $22,887.
- Examples (Click) of support a sponsor might provide include:
- Receiving the immigrant upon arrival and transporting them to initial housing;
- Ensuring safe and appropriate housing and initial basic necessities.
- Helping the beneficiary complete paperwork for employment authorization, Social Security card, and other services.
- Ensuring health care and medical needs are met.
- Assisting with accessing education, learning English, securing employment and enrolling children in school.