As of December 3, 2014, Central American children who meet strict requirements have an opportunity to be reunited with parents living lawfully in the United States. Unmarried children under the age of 21 can now apply through a recently established United States in-country refugee/parole program in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. During Vice President Joe Biden’s recent announcement at the Inter-American Development Bank, the intention of this program is to “provide those seeking asylum a right way to come to our country, as opposed to crossing the border illegally," Further, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) has posted on its website “the refugee/parole program will not be a pathway for undocumented parents to bring their children to the United States, but instead, the program will provide certain vulnerable, at-risk children an opportunity to be reunited with parents lawfully resident in the United States.
A fact sheet in English and Spanish describing the program can be found on the Department of State website at:http://www.state.gov/j/prm/releases/factsheets/2014/234067.htm
Applicants who are found to be ineligible for refugee admission, but still considered at risk of harm, may be considered for parole on a case-by-case basis. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administers the humanitarian parole sparingly. Through this discretionary program applicants who are otherwise inadmissible are allowed to come to the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
It is also possible for the second parent to be added to an application, considered for refugee status and if denied refugee status, for parole, if: (a) the second parent resides with the child in the home country and (b) is currently married to the lawfully present parent in the United States.
You can learn more about the in-country refugee/parole program HERE.
Let an experienced attorney help you with your application. Contact Us at (202) 296-1111 or
Toll Free (800) 844 - IBLF (800 - 844 - 4253).
