If you are an undocumented spouse or stepchild of a U.S. citizen, you may be eligible for the parole-in-place program of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The new process, called Keeping Families Together, will allow the individuals mentioned above to apply for lawful permanent residence without needing to leave the United States.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible, the DHS will consider your case individually, and you must meet the following criteria:
- Noncitizen spouses must have a legally valid marriage to a U.S. citizen and have lived in the U.S. for at least ten years.
- Stepchildren of U.S. citizens must be unmarried, under the age of 21, legal stepchildren of the U.S. citizen and must have acquired stepchild status before they turned 18.
In addition, those applying to the program must have no criminal history and must not be a threat to national security.
What you need to do
To be considered for the program, you need to file form I-131F, pay a $580 filing fee and provide supporting documents. If you have not yet created a myUSCIS account, do so now, as that is the only way you can file this form.
After accepting your application, USCIS will ask you to provide biometrics such as fingerprints, photographs and signatures.
Not a guarantee
Remember that this parole program is case-by-case and does not guarantee permanent residency. If you have more questions or need clarification about this program or other immigration concerns, consider seeking legal counsel who can provide better clarity on your specific immigration issues.
