MIAMI, United States. – Cuban-American lawyer Ángel Leal conceded an interview this Friday to the journalist Mario J. Pentón in which he offered details about the resumption of the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program.
Leal assured that it was “a process to advance Cuban immigration to the United States and take advantage of the 20,000 visas that correspond to the people of Cuba.”
This Thursday, the United States embassy in Havana announced that it would begin processing pending applications for the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program (CFRP), suspended since 2017.
In a release disseminated on its social networks, the diplomatic legation on the island indicated that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) began conducting interviews for the family reunification program at the diplomatic headquarters on August 18.
The embassy also clarified that, for the time being, “it has begun mailing interview notices to applicants for the program.” But he clarified that the process will not be immediate due to the lack of personnel.
“Beneficiaries should not take any steps to prepare for an interview until their petitioner receives an interview notice,” the document adds.
According to the note, USCIS is not sending new invitations so far and it will be through its website when a new round is announced for those who had not processed an application before the break in 2017.
For his part, Leal explained that “if you are an American citizen and want to claim a minor child, your spouse or parents will not be able to participate in this program because they are immediate relatives who will be able to immigrate directly with residence. This program is not for those people, ”she limited.
Further on, he mentioned categories that could benefit from the resumption of the program, such as the adult unmarried child of a US citizen, the spouse and minor child of a US resident, the older single child of a US resident, the married child of a US citizen and the brother of American citizen.
“We are talking about family preference claim categories where it is possible to participate in the program. What it is about is that instead of waiting 15 years, the brother of an American citizen can immigrate in three, four or five years depending on the circumstances, “explained the lawyer.
The Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program was initially launched in 2007 under the mandate of former President George W. Bush (2001-2009) and provides a legal avenue for Americans and legal residents in the US to claim their relative within Cuban territory.
The family reunification program was suspended 10 years later by the Donald Trump administration (2017-2021), after his government substantially reduced staff in Havana after thirty US diplomats suffered mysterious “health incidents.” ” in what was called the “Havana syndrome”, and whose reasons have not yet been clarified.
The US Embassy resumed issuing visas for migrants in May 2022 after a four-year pause, and last June the embassy expanded visa processing for immediate family members.
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