September 7, 2016
The Ombudsman’s Office of the Department of Homeland Security announced today that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will allow U visa victims to file for humanitarian parole into the United States once their U visa cases have been conditionally approved and place on the wait list for their U visa. This policy allows wait list approved U visa victims living abroad to receive humanitarian parole into the United States. It will also facilitate family reunification of U visa victims living in the United States whose family members, most often children, are included in the victim’s U visa application. As the Ombudsman’s office explains there is:
“…clear regulatory authority for a parole policy and the significant public and humanitarian benefits. Family reunification allows the victim to focus attention on the prosecution of the crime and on rebuilding his or her life. In addition, U petitioners and derivate family members who remain abroad may be subject to violence and harm in the country in which they reside.”
This new policy will begin to be implemented in Fiscal Year 2017
Links to the DHS reports and policy statements on this important issue —
Parole for Eligible U Visa Principal and Derivative Petitioners Residing Abroad