To apply for humanitarian parole in the US, you file Form I-131 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, along with a Form I-134 from any financial sponsor, documentary proof of an urgent humanitarian need or significant public benefit, identity and financial records, and the required filing fees. The beneficiary must be outside the United States when the request is filed, and the decision is entirely discretionary. Since Executive Order 14165 was signed on January 20, 2025, categorical parole programs have been shut down and individual approvals have tightened, so a strong, well-documented case matters more than ever.1Federal Register. Securing Our Borders
What Parole Will and Will Not Do
Federal law lets the Secretary of Homeland Security parole someone into the country temporarily, on a case-by-case basis, for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens Parole is not a visa and not a formal admission. It does not lead to a green card by itself. If you want to stay permanently, you need a separate qualifying pathway, such as a family-based petition or asylum, and you need to meet its requirements independently.
Urgent humanitarian reasons cover things like a medical emergency needing treatment only available in the United States, visiting a dying relative, attending a funeral, or escaping imminent danger. Significant public benefit typically means your presence would help the U.S. government or public interest, for example by cooperating with law enforcement or testifying in court. USCIS weighs how severe the consequences of denial would be, how time-sensitive the situation is, and whether any other immigration option is available.
Who Files
Either the person seeking parole or a U.S.-based sponsor can start the application, but the beneficiary must be outside the United States at the time.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole for Aliens Outside the United States In practice most applications come from a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident sponsoring a relative or other person abroad, because the sponsor is better positioned to assemble financial records and correspond with USCIS.
There is no fixed checklist of qualifying situations. The strongest cases share a few features: the situation is time-sensitive, the harm from denial would be severe, the beneficiary has no other immigration route, and every claim is backed by solid documentary evidence. General assertions of hardship without proof rarely succeed in the current environment.
Documents to Gather
A humanitarian parole application rises or falls on its evidence. USCIS wants identity documents and proof of humanitarian need from the beneficiary, plus identity and financial documents from any sponsor.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Guidance on Evidence for Certain Types of Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole Requests
From the Beneficiary
- A valid passport, national ID, or birth certificate to establish identity.
- Evidence of the humanitarian need. Depending on the situation this might be medical records and physician letters explaining why treatment must occur in the United States, police reports documenting threats or violence, hospital records or a death certificate for a critically ill or deceased relative, court documents, or letters from government authorities. The more specific and verifiable, the better.
- Photographs where they add proof, such as images documenting injuries or conditions.
From the Sponsor
- Proof of U.S. status: a U.S. passport, green card, or other evidence of lawful status.
- Financial evidence such as bank statements, pay stubs, employer letters, and recent tax returns showing the sponsor can support the beneficiary during the stay.
- A detailed personal statement explaining the sponsor’s relationship to the beneficiary, the nature of the emergency, why parole is necessary, and the plan for the beneficiary’s stay and departure.
Translations
Every document in a language other than English needs a complete English translation. It must be word-for-word, not a summary, and it must preserve the original formatting. The translator has to include a signed certification stating their name, that they are competent to translate from the source language into English, and that the translation is complete and accurate, with signature, date, and contact information. Professional certification is not required, but the written attestation is.
Filing Form I-131
The main form is Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records. When a financial supporter is involved, Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support, has to be submitted alongside it.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole for Aliens Outside the United States
Enter biographical information on Form I-131 exactly as it appears on the beneficiary’s identity documents. The written explanation of the humanitarian need is the heart of the application; it should be specific, thorough, and tied to the supporting evidence in the package. On Form I-134, the sponsor lists income, assets, and employment, and each figure should line up with the attached financial records.
Online or Paper
Certain humanitarian parole requests can be filed online through a USCIS account at my.uscis.gov. Paper filing is still available. If you file on paper, you can link the case later to an online account using the access code on your receipt notice, which makes uploading additional evidence and tracking the case easier.
Fees
Two fees apply. The first is the standard Form I-131 filing fee. The second is the Immigration Parole Fee created by H.R. 1, which was $1,000 in fiscal year 2025 and adjusts annually for inflation.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Implements New Immigration Parole Fee Required by H.R. 1 Fees increased effective January 1, 2026, so confirm current amounts using the fee calculator on the USCIS website before filing.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Announces FY 2026 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees
You can request a fee waiver on Form I-912 for the standard I-131 filing fee. The H.R. 1 Immigration Parole Fee cannot be waived or reduced. If you file Form I-912, you still have to send separate payment for the H.R. 1 fee.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
Putting the Package Together
For a paper filing, assemble a clean package: a cover letter summarizing the request and listing every enclosed document, then the completed forms, then the supporting evidence organized by category with tabs or dividers so an adjudicator can find things quickly. Keep a full copy of everything, including proof of payment.
After You File
USCIS will send a receipt notice, Form I-797C, confirming the application is in the system.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action That receipt does not signal anything about the merits of the case.
Biometrics
USCIS may schedule the beneficiary for biometrics collection. If the application receives conditional approval, all beneficiaries age 14 and older must appear at a U.S. embassy or consulate to provide biometrics for additional security vetting.
Requests for Evidence
If the adjudicator needs more information, USCIS issues a Request for Evidence. An RFE is not a denial. It means the case has potential but gaps to fill. Respond by the deadline in the notice and be thorough. A weak or late RFE response is one of the most common reasons applications stall or fail.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797 Types and Functions
Processing and Expedite Requests
Processing times vary widely and USCIS does not publish a single standard estimate for humanitarian parole. USCIS accepts expedite requests, and these cases can qualify under the emergencies or urgent humanitarian situations criterion, but USCIS has specifically warned that filing a humanitarian-based application does not by itself justify expedited treatment. You need to show additional time-sensitive or compelling factors beyond the humanitarian basis of the parole request itself.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Expedite Requests
The Decision
USCIS issues its decision by written notice. If approved, the notice states the parole period, typically up to one year. The beneficiary then completes consular processing, including a Form DS-160 and an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate, before traveling. There is no formal appeal from a denial. You can refile if circumstances change or significant new evidence appears, but resubmitting the same facts is unlikely to change the outcome.
After Arrival: Health Requirements
Parolees must meet public health requirements as a condition of parole. Within 14 days of arrival, a parolee who did not receive measles, polio, or COVID-19 vaccinations before entering must get them, if age-eligible and medically able. Within 90 days, the parolee must complete tuberculosis screening, starting with a blood test. A positive result triggers isolation and treatment requirements. The parolee arranges these on their own.11U.S. Department of State. Information Sheet for Individuals Paroled into the United States
Work Authorization
Parole alone does not authorize work. To take a job, the parolee must file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, and wait for USCIS to issue an Employment Authorization Document before starting.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Employment Authorization The filing fee for an initial parole-based EAD is $560 as of January 1, 2026. Humanitarian parolees who were not paroled as refugees should review the (c)(11) eligibility category in the Form I-765 instructions to see whether they file under that classification.
Extending Parole or Leaving
Parole is temporary. Before the authorized period ends you have three choices: apply for re-parole, apply for a different immigration status if you qualify, or leave. There is no automatic extension.
To request re-parole, file a new Form I-131 while still inside the United States, either online through your USCIS account or by mail. USCIS reviews each request on a case-by-case basis, looking at whether the original humanitarian reasons still exist and whether another period of parole is justified. File well before parole expires. If your parole lapses while a re-parole request is pending, your position becomes precarious.
If Parole Expires Without Action
Remaining in the United States after parole ends without a new parole grant or other lawful status starts the clock on unlawful presence.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Unlawful Presence and Inadmissibility More than 180 days but less than a year of unlawful presence triggers a three-year bar on readmission after you leave. A year or more triggers a ten-year bar. Reentering without authorization after more than a year of unlawful presence can result in a permanent bar. Plan your departure or your next filing before the parole date arrives, not after.