The immigration program allowing eligible individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela a legal way to come to the U.S. is up and running again. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced they are reviewing and approving travel documents again, with added checks in place.

This program was briefly paused earlier this month due to concerns about fraud. It allows up to 30,000 people each month from these countries to come to the U.S., provided they have a financial sponsor here. Both the sponsor and the individual must go through background checks. If approved, the individual is eligible for work authorization.

Introduced in January 2023, the program aims to manage legal migration from these countries while limiting asylum claims from those who enter the U.S. illegally. Countries sending large numbers of individuals to the U.S. who typically reject those returned to their home country are the focus of the program.  The program works with Mexico, which agrees to take back individuals from these countries who enter the U.S. without proper authorization.

The updated vetting process now includes a closer look at the financial records and criminal histories of the U.S.-based sponsors. The sponsors must also submit fingerprints. DHS is also taking extra steps to detect fraudulent sponsors and those who submit multiple applications. Although issues with fake Social Security numbers were found, no problems were detected when vetting the migrants themselves.

Arrests for illegal crossings have dropped significantly for these countries. For example, there were just over 5,000 arrests of Cubans in the first half of the year, compared to over 42,000 in November 2022. For Haitians, there were about 300 arrests in the first half of the year, compared to nearly 18,000 in September 2021.

As always, we actively monitor ongoing updates to U.S. immigration policy and programs. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration-related issue, contact us. Our team of experienced attorneys works directly with our clients every step of the way throughout their immigration journeys.