The United States has begun sending forms to Cuban applicants for the family reunification process, thus implementing the provisions of the updates to the Cuban Family Reunification Program (CFRP).
On August 10, U.S. immigration authorities announced an update to the CFRP Permit Process, based on the new Form I-134A that applicants will be able to complete mostly on a secure online platform.
The process is available by invitation only, with this modernization eliminating the burden of travel, time and paperwork, and increasing access to participation.
Some CFRP applicants in South Florida began receiving invitations from immigration authorities on Tuesday to begin the process of obtaining humanitarian visas (parole) for their relatives in Cuba, according to a report by Univision, which also explained that now it will not be necessary for beneficiaries to do the interview at the U.S. Embassy in Havana and that the process can be done online for the most part.
In mid-August, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas explained:
“This modernization enhances our ability to maintain the integrity of our review and selection standards, respond to feedback from the Cuban and Haitian communities, and ensure meaningful access for potential beneficiaries, consistent with our values.”
The CFRP Program grants “certain eligible U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents the right to petition for re-entry for their family members in Cuba. If parole is granted, these family members may come to the United States without having to wait for their immigrant visa priority dates,” explains the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on its website, adding:
“Once in the United States, CFRP beneficiaries may apply for employment authorization while they wait to apply for legal permanent residence.”
“Invitations to participate in these proceedings are sent by email or mail to certain petitioners whose Forms I-130 have been approved. Petitioners who receive invitations may submit a Form I-134A (Online Application to Become a Support Person and Declaration of Financial Support) for principal and derivative beneficiaries of Form I-130,” USCIS explains.
The CRFP update allows for the acceleration of the family reunification process, although beneficiaries would enter the United States with a parole and not a visa, so they would have to wait a year and a day to apply for legal residency.
Relatives who apply must have completed and approved Form I-130 as an essential basic requirement.
Once Form I-134A has been completed, beneficiaries will only need to process the application and upload the information to CBP ONE. Once in the United States, they will have to undergo a final interview with CBP officials, and if the interview is satisfactory, the family member enters the country with humanitarian parole until they apply for residency after one year and one day.
