ISSUES

What You Need to Know: Parole Programs for Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela


On January 5, 2023, the Biden administration announced a suite of policy changes for Haitians, Cubans, and Nicaraguans seeking to enter the United States due to conditions in their home country—modeled after a similar program for Venezuela, which has been open since October 18, 2022. The U.S. government will provide prior travel authorization for up to 30,000 individuals each month across all parole programs for Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua. The new parole measures were coupled with harsher border enforcement toward nationals from these countries at the U.S. border.

This FAQ document seeks to provide information and education on who qualifies for parole through these programs, the benefits of having parole, who qualifies as a supporter to sponsor a parolee through these programs, and other questions regarding higher education, parole and border enforcement, and additional information.

What You Need to Know: Parole Programs for Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela