Humanitarian and Country-Specific Parole

What is parole?

Parole is the discretionary authority granted to the Secretary of Homeland Security, or DHS, to allow an individual to enter, return to, or remain in the United States without granting the person formal admission. Parole is typically granted for a temporary, finite period of time noted on the parole document given to the grantee, or “parolee.” DHS and its predecessors have paroled various categories of individuals into the United States and focused primarily on those with humanitarian needs, those whose parole would bring significant public benefit to the United States, and those who have an application for adjustment pending.

Country Specific Parole Processes

DHS has established country-specific parole processes for Ukrainians, Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans to seek save haven within the United States due to the conditions in their countries.

The most recently announced parole processes, which opened to Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans on Jan. 6, 2023, and to Venezuelans on Oct. 18, 2022, are being implemented in conjunction with a new border enforcement policy that allows the government to apply Title 42 to nationals of those countries who attempt to enter the United States at the border without authorization. Title 42 is a provision of the Public Health Services Act that permits federal health authorities to prohibit the entry of individuals into the United States to protect public health. The law was first used by the Trump administration to prevent migrants from seeking asylum at the border during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and remains in place currently. Under a joint agreement with Mexico, nationals of the Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua may now be returned to Mexico under Title 42.