US. Department of Homeland Security
US. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Of?ce of (he Director
Washington. DC 20529
U.S. 
and Immigration
5,99? Services

2015

TO: Maria Odom
Citizenship and Immigr tion Services Ombudsman

FROM: Leon Rodriguez
Director

SUBJECT: Response to Recommendations on Parole for Eligible Visa Principal and
Derivative Petitioners Residing Abroad

I would like to thank you for your recommendations to US. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) regarding parole for principal nonimmigrant status (U visa) petitioners on
the waiting list who reside abroad and any qualifying derivative family members who reside
abroad. USCIS welcomes the opportunity to respond to the three recommendations.

Recommendations

 

You recommend that:

1. USCIS should afford parole to eligible visa petitioners on the waiting list and
qualifying derivative family members who reside abroad by creating axpolicy to facilitate
entry into the United States while waiting for a visa to become available;

2. The parole policy should allow for concurrent filings of the visa petitions and requests
for parole; and

3. Cases should be adjudicated at the Vermont Service Center, where visa petitions are
currently processed, to ensure consistent and effective adjudication, and where Congress
expressly authorized the placement of the adjudication of vulnerable populations.

Response to the Your Recommendations

I. Afford parole to eligible visa petitioners on the waiting list and qualifying derivative
family members who reside abroad.

USCIS Response: USCIS agrees.
As acknowledged in your recommendation, USCIS plans to implement a policy for principal

visa petitioners on the waiting list who reside abroad and any qualifying derivative family
members who reside abroad to request parole to enter the United States while the principal



Response to Recommendations on Parole for Visa Principal and Derivative Petitioners
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visa petitioner is on the waiting list. USCIS recognizes that the visa provides lawful
immigration status to a vulnerable population, and USCIS believes that this population will be
better served through an established and streamlined process to request parole.

USCIS is creating a stand-alone application form that this victim population will be able to use to
request parole. policy regarding parole for the victim population will also include safe
address protections. USCIS expects the new form and policy guidance to be completed in Fiscal
Year 2017.

2. Allow for concurrent ?lings of the visa and the request for parole.
USCIS Response: USCIS is considering this recommendation.

USCIS is currently evaluating various options regarding the parole application process. USCIS
will consider the suggestion to allow parole applications to be filed both with the visa petition
and after the petitioner has been placed on the waiting list.

3. Parole requests should be adjudicated at the Vermont Service Center.
USCIS Response: USCIS is considering this recommendation.

USCIS is currently assessing the operational impact of the parole policy and the anticipated
resources that this policy will require. As previously noted, USCIS is working to develop and
implement safe address protections as part of the parole application process for the victim
population. While USCIS cannot, at this time, specify which service center will adjudicate the
parole requests, USCIS acknowledges the importance of consistent and effective adjudication of
these requests.