Filipino WW II Veterans Parole Program Is Finally Here!

If you are one of the many thousands of Filipino nationals who are waiting for a visa number to immigrate to the U.S., the wait could be over if you are a family member of a Filipino national who fought in the World War II.  Beginning June 8, 2016, Filipino World War II veteran family members whose immigration visa petitions have been approved may be able to be "paroled" into the United States, according to the USCIS.   

This parole policy was first announced by the Obama Administration as part of its executive actions for immigration reform in November 2014.  There are approximately 2,000 to 6,000 Filipino-American World War II veterans who are living in the United States today.  However, despite their status as U.S. citizens and legal residents, their family members usually must wait for decades before they can immigrate to the U.S. due to visa number limitations. As a result, these Filipino veterans must be separated from their family members indefinitely.  The new policy will allow their family members to enter the U.S. while waiting for a visa number to be available; it will also provide the much needed care and support for these aging veterans.  

According to USCIS, each case will be reviewed individually to determine if parole is warranted. It is important to note that it is a discretionary parole, meaning that not all cases will be approved.  Further, even after parole is authorized by USCIS, when the family member arrives at a port of entry, the Custom and Border Patrol (CBP) will review the case again before granting parole. 

Under the new policy, you may still seek parole on your own even if your veteran family member and his/her spouse are both deceased.  Once you are paroled into the U.S., you will be allowed to stay and work while waiting for your final immigration. 

Filipino WWII Vets Family Reunification

Family members of Filipino veterans of World War II may be able to enter the United States in "parole" status, according to a new policy announced by the White House on July 15.  The new policy is part of President Obama's executive actions to improve and modernize the U.S. Immigration System.  The purpose of the new policy is to "Allow certain family members of Filipino veterans, who are currently in the family immigration backlogs, to seek parole so they can care for these aging veterans," as written in a White House fact sheet.  

A quarter million of Filipino soldiers responded to President Roosevelt’s call-to-arms in 1941 and fought for America during World War II.  Yet, family reunification continues to be a challenge for Filipino nationals.  Oftentimes, family members of U.S. citizens and residents must wait up to 10 to 20 years before they can be granted immigrant visas.  See, e.g., August 2015 Visa Bulletin.  This new policy will provide some temporary relief to prolonged family separation, although DHS has not yet announced any specifics on this matter.

Immigration Relief for Filipino Nationals Impacted by Typhoon Haiyan

The following was released by the USCIS on 11/15/2013:

In light of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines (named “Yolanda” by Philippine a

uthorities), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would like to remind Filipino nationals that they may be eligible for certain immigration relief measures if requested.

USCIS understands that a natural disaster can affect an individual’s ability to establish or maintain lawful immigration status in the United States. Therefore, Filipino nationals impacted by Typhoon Haiyan may be eligible to benefit from the following immigration relief measures:

• Change or extension of nonimmigrant status for an individual currently in the United States, even when the request is filed after the authorized period of admission has expired;

• Extension of certain grants of parole made by USCIS;

• Extension of certain grants of advance parole, and expedited processing of advance parole requests;

• Expedited adjudication and approval, where possible, of requests for off-campus employment authorization for F-1 students experiencing severe economic hardship;

• Expedited processing of immigrant petitions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs);

• Expedited adjudication of employment authorization applications, where appropriate; and

• Assistance to LPRs stranded overseas without immigration or travel documents, such as Permanent Resident Cards (Green  ards). USCIS and the Department of State will coordinate on these matters when the LPR is stranded in a place that has no local USCIS office.

For more information on USCIS humanitarian programs, visit www.uscis.gov or call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

(Source: USCIS.gov)