The reactivation of the humanitarian parole program, after being suspended for several weeks due to fraud allegations, has brought changes that directly affect sponsors, who will now be required to register their fingerprints at immigration offices.
An important point is that sponsors will not receive a postal notification, as in other processes, but will be informed digitally about the date on which they must provide their fingerprints.
Therefore, they should keep an eye on their online accounts to check if they have been assigned an appointment.
In statements to Telemundo 51, immigration attorney Rosaly Chaviano specified that this new measure aims to incorporate sponsors into the immigration system, verifying any possible criminal records that could disqualify them.
Although an initial cost of 30 dollars was proposed for the fingerprint registration, this has not been implemented, and sponsors will not have to pay for this procedure at this time.
Journalist Mario J. Pentón and lawyer Jesús Novo detailed in a recent analysis on the topic that sponsors can download a digital receipt from their My USCIS account and schedule an appointment for fingerprints at any available office, regardless of their area of residence.
This digitized process is part of the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and USCIS to streamline the process and avoid delays arising from postal mail delivery, which is often unreliable.
Sponsors should frequently check their accounts on My USCIS, as notifications about fingerprint appointment scheduling are sent exclusively through this platform.
According to Pentón and Novo, it is not necessary to print the notification: it can be presented directly from the mobile phone at the assigned office. The process for taking fingerprints is functioning, although with some delays.
The average time between the request and the notification is three to four weeks.
Although recent cases are being handled first, some sponsors of previous applications have also started to receive notifications for their fingerprints.
The fingerprinting registration is an essential step for the approval of humanitarian parole, and sponsors must complete this process for their applications to move forward.
The validity of the parole remains 24 months, which means that during this period, migrants must seek alternatives to extend their stay or change their legal status.
In the specific case of Cubans, after one year and one day in the United States, they are eligible to apply for residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act. For other migrants, there are options such as the U visa, the T visa, or asylum applications.
In the specific case of Cubans, after completing one year and one day in the United States, they are eligible to apply for residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act. For other migrants, there are options such as the U visa, the T visa, or asylum applications.
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