April 2024

The Department of Homeland Security’s Secretary has the authority to grant parole into the United States for foreign individuals in urgent medical or humanitarian situations or during emergencies. Humanitarian Parole is typically considered a final opportunity for entry into the US for individuals who do not qualify for a visa through standard means. The evaluation process for these requests is rigorous, with approximately three-quarters of humanitarian parole applications rejected. It is granted on a case-by-case basis and should not be used to bypass regular visa procedures or applications for refugee status. To illustrate the various situations in which humanitarian parole may be used, below we can provide a few case studies from our own experience. For example, after an encounter at the airport in the US, one client was paroled into the United States for one month. But he was not given a copy of his Record of Sworn Statement…