ProgramNot a visaNot an admissionForm I-131Parole feeCase-by-case

Parole Humanitarian Parole

Humanitarian parole is not a visa and not an admission: it is temporary, discretionary permission from DHS to enter or stay in the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.

Last reviewed Oct 1, 2026Sources: USCIS · U.S. Code (govinfo) · DHS / Federal RegisterReport an error

At a glance

Legal basis: INA 212(d)(5)(A): case-by-case, for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit
Status: Parole is not an admission and is not a visa or immigration status
Form I-131 fee (initial, outside U.S.): $630 paper / $580 online
Parole fee if granted (Pub. L. 119-21): $1,020; $1,050 for parole granted on or after Oct. 16, 2026
Categorical programs: CHNV terminated Mar. 25, 2025; Family Reunification Parole terminated Dec. 15, 2025
Work permit: Discretionary; Form I-765 (c)(11): $520 paper / $470 online + $560

Parole is not a visa or admission. By statute, parole “shall not be regarded as an admission” (INA 212(d)(5)(A)), and when its purpose is served the person must leave or return to the custody they were paroled from. Since Oct. 16, 2025, everyone granted parole — from abroad, in place, re-parole or from custody — owes a separate parole fee unless one of 10 statutory exceptions applies: $1,000 at first, $1,020 since Jan. 1, 2026 and $1,050 from Oct. 16, 2026.

Overview

Under INA 212(d)(5)(A), DHS may parole a person into the United States temporarily, only case by case, for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Parole is discretionary and is not meant to be used to avoid normal visa processing (USCIS). A parolee has not been admitted, which matters for later applications such as adjustment of status.

Anyone — a relative, an organization or the person themselves — can file Form I-131 for someone outside the U.S., together with Form I-134 (financial support). Parole in place is parole granted to someone already inside the U.S. who entered without inspection; it is also requested on Form I-131. The best-known form is military parole in place for relatives of current or former service members, granted in 1-year increments. The broader Keeping Families Together parole-in-place process for spouses of U.S. citizens was vacated by a federal court on Nov. 7, 2024.

Executive Order 14165 (Jan. 20, 2025) directed DHS to end categorical parole programs. DHS terminated the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (CHNV) processes effective March 25, 2025, ending most CHNV grants on April 24, 2025, and terminated nine Family Reunification Parole programs effective Dec. 15, 2025, with parole ending Jan. 14, 2026. Court orders have changed how these terminations apply; see the changes list.

Who qualifies

A request should show

An urgent humanitarian reason (for example, a medical emergency or a dying relative) or a significant public benefit (for example, assisting a law enforcement matter).
Why a visa or other immigration pathway is not available in time.
That the beneficiary merits parole as a matter of discretion and passes background and security checks.
Financial support for the stay (Form I-134).

Parole fee exceptions (Pub. L. 119-21) include

A medical emergency where treatment is unavailable abroad, or is life-threatening with no time for a visa, and the parent or guardian of such a minor.
Organ or tissue donation, a close family member’s imminent death, or a close family member’s funeral, when a visa cannot be obtained in time.
Adjustment-of-status applicants returning from temporary travel abroad, and certain other categories listed in the statute.
Full list of the 10 exceptions: 90 FR 48317.

Duration & extensions

Period of parole	Set by DHS case by case; parole ends when its purpose is served (INA 212(d)(5)(A))
Re-parole	Request a new period from inside the U.S. by filing a new Form I-131 before parole expires (USCIS); the parole fee applies again if granted
Military parole in place	Granted in 1-year increments
Parole-based work permit	Initial (c)(11) EADs are valid for 1 year under Pub. L. 119-21

Fees

USCIS fees from Form G-1055 (edition 10/01/26). The Pub. L. 119-21 parole fee is charged when parole is actually granted, not at filing, and cannot be waived (91 FR 62534).

Fee	Amount	Who pays	Notes
Form I-131, initial parole (outside U.S., no specific program)	$630 paper / $580 online	Petitioner or beneficiary	Fee waiver may be requested for the USCIS fee
Form I-131, parole in place (no specific program)	$630	Applicant	Military parole in place for service members and their families: $0
Form I-131, re-parole (e.g., Afghan or Ukrainian processes)	$630 paper / $580 online	Parolee	Program-specific amounts vary; see G-1055
Immigration parole fee (Pub. L. 119-21)	$1,020	Parolee	$1,050 for parole granted on or after Oct. 16, 2026; collected by CBP at the port of entry or by USCIS before approval
Form I-765, initial parolee EAD (c)(11)	$520 paper / $470 online + $560	Parolee	Extra fee $570 from Oct. 16, 2026
Form I-765, renewal parolee EAD (c)(11)	$520 paper / $470 online + $280	Parolee	$280 unchanged for FY 2027

Since Feb. 5, 2026, Ms. L. Settlement Class members and their qualifying family members do not pay the parole fee or parolee EAD fee (USCIS).

Processing time

Parole requests: High volume; USCIS warned on Dec. 15, 2025 of an extremely high number of requests and delays
Parole fee timing: At grant; USCIS issues a conditional approval with a payment deadline; unpaid fees lead to denial (90 FR 48317)

USCIS publishes no fixed processing time for humanitarian parole; check USCIS processing times and include all evidence with the request.

Application steps

1
Confirm parole fits
Parole is for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit, not to bypass visa processing.
2
File Form I-131 and Form I-134
A petitioner (or the beneficiary) files with evidence of the urgent need and financial support, paying the I-131 fee or requesting a fee waiver.
3
USCIS review
USCIS reviews the request and may ask for more evidence; delays are expected because of high request volumes.
4
Conditional approval and parole fee
If USCIS will grant parole in place or re-parole, it sends a notice requiring the parole fee before final approval; for travel from abroad, CBP collects the fee at the port of entry.
5
Parole and work
CBP decides whether to parole the person at the port of entry. The parolee may then apply for a discretionary work permit with Form I-765.
6
Before parole ends
Depart, request re-parole, or apply for any status the person qualifies for.

Required documents

For a parole request

Form I-131 and Form I-134 for each beneficiary.
A clear explanation of the urgent humanitarian reason or significant public benefit, and how long parole is needed.
Supporting evidence (for example, medical records or letters from doctors or government agencies).
An explanation of why a visa cannot be obtained, or not in time.
Identity documents for the beneficiary.

Dependents & family

Parole has no derivative category: each family member needs their own Form I-131 and, if granted, owes their own parole fee unless an exception applies (90 FR 48317).

Path to a green card

Parole by itself never leads to a green card. A parolee can seek permanent residence only through a separate basis they qualify for, such as a family or employment petition, asylum, or a special law for certain nationalities.

Leaving the U.S. on advance parole counts as a departure for inadmissibility purposes, which can trigger the unlawful-presence bars (USCIS alert, Aug. 13, 2026).

Refugee

Refugee Status (USRAP)

Permanent protection for persecuted people processed abroad.

Asylum

Asylum Status

Protection for persecuted people already in the U.S.

TPS

Temporary Protected Status

Country-based temporary protection with a work permit.

B-2

Tourist visa

Visitor visa for short stays, including medical treatment.

SIV

Special Immigrant Visa

Immigrant visas for certain Afghan and Iraqi nationals.

Common questions

Is parole a visa or a legal admission?

Neither. Parole is temporary permission to be in the U.S.; the statute says it “shall not be regarded as an admission” (INA 212(d)(5)(A)).

How much does humanitarian parole cost?

Form I-131 costs $630 on paper ($580 online for initial parole from abroad). If parole is granted, a separate parole fee of $1,020 applies, rising to $1,050 for grants on or after Oct. 16, 2026, unless an exception applies.

Are CHNV and Family Reunification Parole still available?

No new grants. DHS terminated CHNV on March 25, 2025 and the FRP programs on Dec. 15, 2025. A Jan. 24, 2026 court order stayed the early end of previously granted FRP parole (USCIS).

Can a parolee work?

Only with a discretionary work permit (Form I-765, category (c)(11)), which now carries an extra $560 fee for an initial card and is valid for 1 year.

What is re-parole?

A new period of parole requested from inside the U.S. by filing Form I-131 before the current parole expires (USCIS); the parole fee is due again if it is granted.

Official sources

Recent changes

Sep 30, 2026
Parole fee rises to $1,050. FY 2027 inflation adjustment: the Pub. L. 119-21 parole fee rises from $1,020 to $1,050 for parole granted on or after Oct. 16, 2026; the initial parolee EAD fee rises from $560 to $570. Source ↗
Jun 5, 2026
Proposed limits on parolee work permits. Proposed rule would limit and clarify discretionary employment authorization for parolees and others; not final as of Oct. 1, 2026. Source ↗
Feb 5, 2026
Ms. L. class exempted from parole fees. Under a court order in Ms. L. v. ICE, USCIS stopped collecting the parole fee and parolee EAD fee from settlement class members and qualifying family members. Source ↗
Jan 24, 2026
FRP terminations partly stayed. In Svitlana Doe v. Noem (D. Mass.) the court stayed the Dec. 15, 2025 notice to the extent it ended previously granted FRP parole and work authorization before the original end dates; USCIS says affected people may disregard termination notices while the order is in effect. Source ↗
Dec 15, 2025
Family Reunification Parole programs terminated. DHS ended nine FRP programs (Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, plus legacy CFRP and HFRP); parole set to end Jan. 14, 2026 unless an I-485 was pending. Source ↗
Oct 16, 2025
$1,000 parole fee begins. DHS began collecting the Pub. L. 119-21 parole fee for every grant of parole, including parole in place and re-parole, unless an exception applies. Source ↗
Sep 12, 2025
CHNV injunction vacated. In Doe v. Noem the First Circuit vacated the district court order that had blocked the early termination of CHNV parole. Source ↗
May 30, 2025
Supreme Court lets CHNV termination proceed. The Court stayed the district court’s April 2025 order pending appeal, allowing DHS to end CHNV parole early. Source ↗
Mar 25, 2025
CHNV parole processes terminated. DHS ended the CHNV processes; unexpired CHNV parole was to terminate April 24, 2025 unless DHS decided otherwise case by case. Source ↗
Jan 20, 2025
Order to end categorical parole. Executive Order 14165 directed DHS to terminate categorical parole programs, including CHNV. Source ↗

This page is general reference material compiled from the official sources above and is not legal advice. Eligibility depends on individual facts; rules and fees change, so confirm with the agency before you file. VisaTypes.com is not affiliated with USCIS, the Department of State or any government agency. Spotted an error? Tell us.