- elizeelaw
NEW PAROLE PROCESS FOR VENEZUELANS
Venezuela, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has become the second-largest global displacement concern in many countries after Seria. Nearly four times Venezuelans compared to the previous year attempted to cross the country's southern border, putting their lives in the hands of deadly smuggling gangs. The United States of America and Mexico are working to increase legal immigration channels and decrease unauthorized immigration to develop an orderly and safe route for Venezuelans fleeing humanitarian and economic crises. These operations are based on the principles of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, which both nations adopted in June along with 19 other Western Hemisphere nations.
The new process for eligible Venezuelans who are outside and lack U.S. entry documents was announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, to facilitate the safe entry of up to 24,000 eligible Venezuelans into the United States. It is a legal and quick way for them to enter the country, DHS described this process as "derived from the success of the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program." The United States of America will not carry out this operation unless Mexico maintains its unilateral but parallel endeavor to accept the returns of Venezuelan nationals who attempted to illegally enter. Individuals can apply for advance authorization to come to the US for a two-year temporary parole period through a fully online method. Effective instantly, Venezuelans who enter the United States without authorization between ports of entry will be deported to Mexico and will not be eligible for this procedure in the future.
While it is still in its early days, this process has already reduced irregular entries of Venezuelans at the border by more than 85%, showing that when there is a lawful way, people will be less inclined to put their lives in hands of smugglers.
To be eligible, Venezuelan nationals must have the following:
· Be a national of Venezuela or be an immediate family member (spouse, common-law partner, or unmarried child under the age of 21) of an eligible Venezuelan and traveling with them;
· Have a valid passport for foreign travel
· Have a sponsor in the United States who will give financial and other support during their parole period.
· Complete a comprehensive biometric and biographic screening and vetting for national security and public safety
· Have up-to-date vaccinations and other public health requirements.
· Must be willing to fly to an interior U.S. port of entry (POE) at their own expense, rather than entering the country through a land-based POE.
Venezuelans will be ineligible if:
· In the previous five years, an individual has been ordered removed from the United States.
· Illegally enter without authorization after the date of announcement/notice;
· Permanent resident, dual national, or refugee in any country other than Venezuela
· Unaccompanied child;
· Vaccinations and other public health requirements are not completed.
To alleviate the tension at the border, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) started accepting online applications on Tuesday, October 18, 2022. Venezuelans who are approved through this process will be given permission, on a case-by-case basis, to travel to the United States by air directly to an interior port of entry. At a late hour on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, approvals started being distributed, and screening and vetting of individuals got underway. To prevent exploitation and harm, individuals and representatives of organizations that wish to apply as a supporter are required to provide the organization's financial assistance and to pass a security background check. They will be able to submit a work permit application after they have arrive in the United States.
According to officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Venezuelans who had been permitted to enter the United States via the private sponsorship program arrived in the country. Since the United States government first started accepting applications from potential sponsors, the sponsorship process appears to have been promptly operationalized, as seen by the arrivals. Hundreds of additional Venezuelans have been permitted to book their flights to the United States, where they will be granted humanitarian parole. This is a temporary quasi-status that will allow them to work and live in the United States legally for at least two years without fear of being deported as per DHS.
It is one more component of the United States transnational approach to combating illegal migration that is affecting nations all across Latin America, and it is premised on pairing increased enforcement in response to irregular immigration. As part of the campaign, new migration checks, extra resources and manpower, collaborative targeting of human smuggling organizations, and expanded information sharing relating to transit nodes, hotels, stash homes, and staging areas are being implemented. The United States Department of State will also conduct an extensive communications campaign inside the region to inform people about the new process and the repercussions of attempting to enter the country illegally.
Contact Patricia Elizee, Esq. of the Elizee Law firm at intro@elizeelawfirm.com or (305) 371-8846 if you need assistance applying for the Venezuelan parole program as either a sponsor or an applicant. You can also go to https://www.elizeelawfirm.com/ to see our website.