FAQs on recent changes to sponsorship

Humanitarian parole is a temporary immigration status that allows individuals facing urgent humanitarian crises to enter the U.S. legally. It is a discretionary status that can be granted or ended at any time by executive order of the president.

On Jan. 23, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice directing immigration officials to review cases of individuals who are currently in the United States on humanitarian parole to determine whether to terminate their parole status and begin the process to remove them from the United States back to their home country. This includes beneficiaries of Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans and, possibly, Uniting for Ukraine as well as Afghans with parole status.

We do not yet know how this guidance will be implemented or enforced, but we will share updates as we receive more information.

Newcomers with humanitarian parole status should apply for a more durable status as quickly as possible, ideally asylum if they are eligible. In general, deportation efforts are not directed at those who have a pending asylum application. Please consult our guide to alternative legal status options.

Sponsors seeking information about applications they have submitted may seek constituent services from their congressional representatives to inquire about the status of their application or share their support for sponsorship programs. Click here to consult our sponsor guide on contacting your congressional representative for help.

As of Jan. 20, 2025, DHS ended the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) program. The program is not accepting new applications, pending applications will not be processed, and no new travel authorizations will be issued.

DHS announced that it will terminate the humanitarian parole status for individuals who arrived in the United States through the CHNV sponsorship program. Termination of parole will take effect on April 24, 2025. If an individual's parole was set to expire earlier, termination would occur on the expiration date. DHS intends to prioritize removing individuals from the U.S. who haven’t applied for another status, like TPS or asylum, by March 25, 2025. View our CHNV policy explainer page for more information and resources.

Sponsors can consult our guide to alternative legal options for humanitarian parolees to seek professional legal counsel.

As of Jan. 28, 2025, DHS has paused the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program. The program is not accepting new applications, pending applications will not be processed, and no new travel authorizations are being issued.

The March 25th DHS notice of CHNV termination does not apply to individuals who arrived in the U.S. through U4U; however, recent reports suggest the government may also terminate humanitarian parole status for this population. View our humanitarian parole explainer page for more information and resources.

Sponsors can consult our guide to alternative legal options for humanitarian parolees to seek professional legal counsel.

On Jan. 23, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice directing immigration officials to review cases of individuals who are currently in the United States on humanitarian parole to determine whether to terminate their parole status and begin the process to remove them from the United States back to their home country. This includes beneficiaries of Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans and, possibly, Uniting for Ukraine as well as Afghans with parole status.

Newcomers who arrived through Uniting for Ukraine should apply for more durable status as quickly as possible, ideally asylum if they are eligible. Historically, deportation efforts are not directed at those who have a pending asylum application. Please consult our guide to alternative legal options for humanitarian parolees, and consider ways you can support newcomers to apply for this status, for example, by connecting them with legal services.

With the pause of the U4U program and the end of the CHNV program, pending applications or approved sponsorships for newcomers that have not arrived will not be processed.

The programs are not accepting new applications, pending applications will not be processed, and no new travel authorizations are being issued. We are closely monitoring official updates and will share further information as it becomes available.

If you have questions about a specific case, you can ask your congressional representatives to follow up directly with USCIS on your behalf. Use our guide for information on how.

Please visit our Welcome Connect FAQ.

The DHS announced that it will terminate the humanitarian parole status for individuals who arrived in the U.S. through the CHNV program. Termination of parole will take effect 30 days after the official notice is published. The expected publication date of the notice is March 25, 2025, meaning parole would be terminated on April 24, 2025. Additionally, if an individual's parole is set to expire earlier, termination would occur on the expiration date. DHS intends to prioritize removing individuals from the U.S. who haven’t applied for another status, like TPS or asylum, by March 25, 2025. View our CHNV policy explainer page for more information and resources.

This order of termination is specific to individuals who were sponsored through the CHNV sponsorship program. It does not apply to individuals who arrived in the U.S. through U4U, however recent reports suggest the government may also terminate humanitarian parole status for this population. Individuals who arrived through U4U and do not have another status or a pending application for another status, such as TPS or asylum, should seek professional legal counsel and apply for alternative legal status, if eligible. Learn more about applying for another status in our guide to alternative legal options for humanitarian parolees.

On Feb. 14, media reports indicated that DHS issued an internal memo suspending decision making on all immigration applications filed by individuals who arrived in the U.S. through the U4U and CHNV parole programs. This indicates that DHS will not approve any alternative forms of legal status (including Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and asylum) many sponsored individuals are seeking while this pause is in place.

However, we still strongly recommend that all individuals with a primary status of humanitarian parole seek advice from an immigration attorney immediately to determine if viable alternative statuses remain an option for them. Check out our guide to alternative legal options for support.

We are tracking the lawsuit, Doe v. Noem, that challenged the U.S. government’s actions to end humanitarian parole processes including CHNV and U4U. We will provide updates once a final order is made. For more up-to-date information, you can follow the case here.

No. The Welcome Corps program, which was a refugee sponsorship initiative within the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), was terminated in Feb. 2025. The Welcome Corps is no longer accepting new applications, and pending applications will not be processed or certified.

Refugee cases that have already been referred into USRAP through a certified Welcome Corps application currently remain in the pipeline, though their processing is on hold and no flights are being scheduled for refugee arrivals.

The U.S. government has not provided guidance on how to request admission on a case-by-case basis.

Sponsors may seek help from their congressional representatives to understand the process.

Use our guide to contacting your federal representatives to learn how to request a case review.

Refugee travel to the U.S. is suspended until further notice. Other than limited arrivals on a case-by-case basis, all scheduled travel has been canceled, and no new travel will be booked during the USRAP suspension.

You can:

• Contact your congressional representatives to express support for refugee sponsorship programs or get help with your application.
• Use our guide for contacting your federal representatives for detailed instructions.

Maybe. Refugees who have already arrived in the U.S. through the Welcome Corps are not at risk of losing their legal status, but may not be able to access some services funded by the federal government.

It is unclear if or when USRAP programming will reopen and whether private sponsorship will be included in that programming. The Welcome Corps program was terminated by the State Department in late February 2025.

SIV holders can travel to the U.S. with private dollars, but they will not receive Reception and Placement (R&P) services.

An SIV holder may be an Afghan or Iraqi in any country with an approved visa in their passport and a valid passport or travel document.

The approved visa must include an Immigrant Visa case number, also known as the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) number. This number starts with 3 letters followed by 10 numbers. For example, KBL1234567890. This is not the NVC SIV Case Number.

• Help newcomers apply for permanent legal status if eligible, like asylum.
• Reach out to your congressional representatives to offer your support for sponsorship programs. Use our guide to get involved.
• Stay informed by visiting our website for updates and resources.

There have been no changes to the asylum process for people applying from within the United States. Recent changes have limited asylum for people applying at the U.S. border.

We know it can be challenging to find and access an immigration attorney. We are providing resources here to help expand your search. In addition to these tools, you might consider reaching out to your network to ask for referrals for an initial consultation from an attorney in your community or virtually.

You can view a list vetted immigration attorneys by the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association here. Additionally, many local immigrant service organizations provide free or low-cost legal services as Board of Immigration Appeals Accredited Representatives, which are listed here by state.