Policy Updates

On May 30, 2025, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end the CHNV humanitarian parole program and terminate legal status for CHNV newcomers. This means CHNV parole is no longer valid, and the government can start deportation unless someone secured protection from deportation through another legal status, such as a pending asylum application.

If a newcomer you know is impacted by this decision:

• Get legal help immediately: All individuals with a primary status of humanitarian parole should consult an immigration attorney immediately. Find an immigration attorney through the American Immigration Lawyers’ Association search tool.
• Consult our parole termination resources hub, which includes resources to understand newcomers’ rights and possible next steps.

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

As of Jan. 28, 2025, the U.S. government has paused the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program. No new U4U applications are being accepted, pending cases won’t be processed, and no new travel authorizations are being issued.

The May 30 Supreme Court ruling, which ended CHNV humanitarian parole, does not apply to U4U beneficiaries. However, there are media reports that the government may also end humanitarian parole for U4U in the future.

Visit our humanitarian parole explainer page for more details and resources.

If you are a sponsor, check out our guide to alternative legal options for parolees and get legal advice from an immigration expert.

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.

On May 28, a federal judge ordered DHS to restart processing immigration applications for people in the U.S. with humanitarian parole, including those in U4U and CHNV. This means these individuals can once again apply for things like asylum and work permits (EADs), and already-filed applications can move forward.

However, on May 30, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end CHNV humanitarian parole, meaning CHNV beneficiaries may face deportation unless they have secured protection from deportation through another legal status, such as a pending asylum application.

It’s not clear how long the court orders and policies will last or how DHS will apply them.

Applying for an alternative status is important to protect your ability to stay in the U.S. People with pending applications can check their status through their myUSCIS account and should consult a legal expert as soon as possible.

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.

On March 25, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the decision to terminate the humanitarian parole status for people sponsored through the CHNV program. This public notice serves as notice of the termination of parole status for those who arrived through CHNV and if their primary status is humanitarian parole. DHS also provided individual notices to each parolee through their USCIS account.

Termination of parole was supposed to take effect on April 24, 2025. However, a federal judge temporarily halted termination while reviewing the legality of DHS’s termination decision. On May 30, the Supreme Court lifted the temporary halt, which means that the Trump Administration's decision to end humanitarian parole for people sponsored through the CHNV program can move forward and the government can begin deportation proceedings. Click here to learn more about humanitarian parole sponsorship.

All individuals who arrived in the U.S. through CHNV should seek advice from an immigration attorney immediately to determine if they already have alternative legal status, or, if not, what viable options remain for them.

Check your USCIS online account regularly for updates.

Find an immigration attorney through the American Immigration Lawyers Association search tool.

The May 30 Supreme Court ruling allowed the government to end CHNV humanitarian parole immediately. This means employment authorization based on CHNV parole has ended.

If the individual has work authorization based on a different legal status (such as asylum or TPS), it will not be affected.

CHNV newcomers should secure legal counsel immediately to determine if viable alternative statuses, such as asylum, remain an option for them. It’s important to act quickly and get legal help.

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.

A certified application means information about the refugee(s) you applied to sponsor was referred to USRAP, and the refugee(s) named on your application has a case with the U.S. government.

If your Welcome Corps application was certified, an email was sent to your group coordinator at the time of certification.

If your Welcome Corps application was not certified, the refugee(s) named on your application do not have a USRAP or SIV number. This means they have not been referred to the U.S. government for private sponsorship and therefore do not have a case with the U.S. government.

The refugee(s) named in your Welcome Corps case were referred into USRAP if:

• Your group coordinator received an email from [email protected] stating that the refugee(s) named in your application were referred to USRAP.
• The refugee(s) named in your application have received a USRAP number. A USRAP case number consists of two letters followed by a 6-digit number, for example, JO-123456.

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.

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.

We are closely tracking the lawsuit, Pacito v. Trump, which challenged the U.S. government’s suspension of USRAP. We will provide more information once a final order is made. For more up-to-date information, you can follow the case here.

The Welcome Corps program was terminated by the State Department in late February 2025. This means that the Welcome Corps is no longer accepting new applications, and pending applications will not be processed or certified.

It is unclear whether refugee sponsorship will return. As elected officials shape new policies related to refugee admissions, Americans can share their support for private sponsorship by using our guide for contacting your federal representatives.

On Jan. 20, the U.S. government suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for a minimum 90-day review period. This includes a halt on all refugee case processing and arrivals except on a case-by-case basis. As of the 90-day deadline on April 20, there have been no announcements about whether the report has been delivered. There is no requirement that the report be made public. It is unclear when or in what form USRAP programming will reopen and whether private sponsorship will be included in that programming. The pause will remain in effect until the U.S. government lifts it.

The Welcome Corps is not accepting or processing applications, and the portal is closed. If you previously created a Welcome Corps account, this means you will not be able to log into the portal. All application-related communications before the program was terminated were conducted via email. Your sponsor group coordinator should have a record of your application’s progress in their email inbox.

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.

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.