The CHNV parole program was a humanitarian process that let nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela enter the United States temporarily with a U.S.-based financial supporter. The Department of Homeland Security formally terminated it on March 25, 2025,1Federal Register. Termination of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans and on May 30, 2025, the Supreme Court cleared the way for that termination to take effect by staying a lower court order that had briefly blocked it.2Cornell Law Institute. Noem v. Doe No new applications are being accepted, existing parole grants have been revoked, and employment authorization tied to the program has been canceled. Former parolees who have not secured another lawful immigration status face removal.
What CHNV Was
The program operated under 8 U.S.C. ยง 1182(d)(5)(A), the statute that gives the federal government discretion to parole someone into the country temporarily for urgent humanitarian reasons or when it serves the public interest.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens Parole is not a formal admission. It is a temporary legal status that the government can end at any time, and it does not by itself lead to a green card.
The Venezuelan process launched in October 2022. Programs for Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans followed in January 2023. Qualifying nationals outside the United States could be sponsored by a U.S.-based supporter and, if approved, fly commercially to a U.S. port of entry for a parole period of up to two years. Once paroled, they could apply for an Employment Authorization Document by filing Form I-765,4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-765 Instructions which let them work legally and obtain a Social Security number.
How and When the Program Ended
On January 20, 2025, an Executive Order titled “Securing Our Borders” directed DHS to terminate all categorical parole programs and named the CHNV processes specifically.5Federal Register. Securing Our Borders The same day, USCIS stopped accepting new Form I-134A supporter submissions.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Update on Form I-134A
On March 25, 2025, DHS published a Federal Register notice formally ending the program. The notice denied all pending Form I-134A filings, rescinded previously confirmed sponsorship forms, and canceled pending advance travel authorizations. For people already in the United States under CHNV parole, the notice set April 24, 2025 as the date their parole would end.1Federal Register. Termination of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans
A federal district court in Massachusetts temporarily blocked the termination in mid-April 2025. The Supreme Court reversed that order on May 30, 2025 in Noem v. Doe.2Cornell Law Institute. Noem v. Doe The underlying case is still moving through the appeals process, but the termination is in force while that litigation continues.
What Termination Means If You Were Already Here
After the Supreme Court’s May 2025 ruling, DHS began ending the parole of people who had entered under CHNV. The agency also revoked the Employment Authorization Documents issued on the basis of that parole and told affected individuals to return the cards.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. FAQs on the Effect of Changes to Parole and Temporary Protected Status for SAVE Agencies Employers were notified through E-Verify that these work permits were no longer valid.8E-Verify. New Status Change Report for E-Verify Users Following Parole Termination
People who had been living and working legally one day were, in effect, without status or work authorization the next. The Federal Register notice directed parolees who had no other lawful basis to remain to leave the country before their termination date or face enforcement.1Federal Register. Termination of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans The government has said former parolees can be placed in expedited removal, a fast-track deportation process that happens in detention without a full hearing before an immigration judge.
The Reentry Bar Problem
Staying without status carries a second cost that shows up later. Under federal immigration law, more than 180 days of unlawful presence followed by a departure triggers a three-year bar on returning to the United States. Unlawful presence of one year or more triggers a ten-year bar.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens Waivers exist only in limited circumstances. That makes the timing of any decision to leave, or to file for relief, a matter to work through with counsel rather than on your own.
Relief Options Former Parolees May Still Have
The options vary by nationality and personal circumstances, and none are automatic. Speak with an immigration attorney before taking action, because the wrong move, including a voluntary departure at the wrong time, can foreclose future options.
- Cuban nationals may qualify under the Cuban Adjustment Act, which lets Cubans physically present in the United States for at least one year apply for lawful permanent resident status. Whether terminated CHNV parole still counts toward the one-year presence requirement may be contested.
- Haitian and Venezuelan nationals may be eligible for Temporary Protected Status depending on their arrival date and the most recent TPS designation dates for their country. TPS windows are tied to specific cutoffs, and the current administration’s approach to TPS renewals is uncertain.
- Any former parolee who fears persecution at home based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group can apply for asylum. The CHNV process itself did not require any showing of persecution, so not every former parolee will have a viable asylum claim. Asylum applications generally must be filed within one year of arrival.
- Former parolees with a qualifying U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member may be able to pursue adjustment of status through a family-based petition. Processing times often run into years.
Filing for relief does not automatically stop enforcement action, though the government has indicated that people with pending applications for asylum or other relief may be deprioritized for removal. Guidance on this has been shifting quickly.
Why Parole Could Be Ended So Quickly
The same statute that let the program exist also let it disappear. Section 1182(d)(5)(A) gives the government broad discretion to grant parole and equally broad authority to end it.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens Parole was never a permanent status. It creates no right to remain, and it can be revoked case-by-case or across an entire category. Unlike a visa or a green card, parole exists at the government’s discretion, which is why a change of administration was enough to end it. For anyone who entered under CHNV and did not pursue a more durable status during their two-year window, that is the vulnerability now driving urgent decisions.