The Government of the United States expanded the Cuban and Haitian Family Reunification Program to other countries such as Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in April, and now the latter will have a new round of invitations starting on July 31.
According to a statement shared by the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), invitations will begin to be sent by various methods starting next Monday.
“The National Visa Center of the Department of State will begin sending invitations by mail and email for the new family reunification parole (FRP) processes for Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.”
Tweet 1: On July 31, the National Visa Center for @StateDept will begin sending invitations by mail and email under the new family reunification temporary stay permit (FRP) processes for Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. (1/3)
— USCIS Spanish (@USCIS_es) July 28, 2023
At the moment, no further details have been revealed, such as the number of these visas that can be issued annually or how they will be divided for each nationality.
While the announcement does not directly mention Cubans, it is still good news, as it can be taken as a sign that the US authorities are keeping their promise to modernize the Cuban family reunification program (CFRP).
It is important to remember that in April the State Department promised to change the current CFRP management mode, wanting to speed up the process for many of the applicants who had been waiting for more than a decade.
“We are committed to delivering timely and efficient authorization for those approved under the family reunification system and screened for travel,” read a statement shared by the White House during the first third of the year.
In this sense, it is illogical to think that the process for the new nations can advance without the US authorities doing something with all the Cuban applicants who are waiting to see their loved ones and who have been on the island for years because they want to carry out a legal and safe process.
For now, the USCIS indicates that family reunification processes remain by invitation, which must be done through Form I-130.
“Family reunification processes are available by invitation only to a petitioner who filed an approved Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of a principal beneficiary who is a citizen of Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras, and his or her immediate family.” .
The US authorities also stressed that a petitioner must receive an invitation before submitting a Form I-134A.
“A petitioner must receive an invitation before submitting Form I-134A, Online Application to Become a Support Person and Declaration of Financial Support, under the FRP processes. See: https://uscis.gov/es/FRP”, the statement concluded.
