The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced a new programme to allow 500,000 noncitizen spouses to U.S citizens and 50,000 noncitizen stepchildren to apply for temporary parole leading to permanent residency.
The new programme, known as ‘Keeping Families Together,’ started accepting applications from August 19th, 2024.
This announcement was made on the official website of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a step towards ensuring families remain united.
The programme allows spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens, who are not yet citizens themselves, to apply for temporary parole period within the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had initially revealed this initiative on June 18, 2024, as part of a key effort to fulfill President Joe Biden’s commitment to fostering family unity within the immigration system.
This process is on a case-by-case basis requests for certain noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens who have been continuously physically present without admission or parole in the United States for 10 years or more.
These U.S citizens must have an average residency in the United States of 23 years, without disqualifying criminal convictions, do not pose a threat to national security or public safety, pass vetting, and are otherwise eligible to apply for adjustment of status, and merit a favourable exercise of discretion.
If granted parole, these noncitizens will typically be able to apply for lawful permanent residence without needing to leave the United States to be processed at a U.S. consulate abroad.
Eligibility and process
To be considered for a discretionary grant of parole under this process, individuals must meet the following criteria:
Be present in the United States without admission or parole.
Have been continuously present in the United States for at least 10 years as of 17th June 2024.
Be in a legally valid marriage to a U.S. citizen as of 17th June 2024.
Key points to note
Here’s a summary of the key points you need to know:
New Online Application Process: Applications for the programme must be submitted electronically using the newly introduced Form I-131F. Paper applications will not be accepted.
Online Submissions Only: The Form I-131F can only be submitted online. Each individual applicant, including minors, is required to file a separate Form I-131F and create a unique USCIS online account. Detailed instructions on how to create an online account can be found on the the How to Create a USCIS Online Account
Eligibility: This programme specifically targets spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens. USCIS will provide additional details about eligibility requirements in the coming days.
USCIS will begin accepting electronic applications through their website (uscis.gov) on that date.
Filing Guide Available: A comprehensive guide to help applicants complete Form I-131F online is available on the USCIS Keeping Families Together webpage.
