What is Parole in Place?
This recently-announced Parole in Place (PIP) process allows eligible individuals to stay in the United States temporarily while they apply for permanent residence through their family relationships. PIP provides people with an opportunity to apply for work authorization, temporary protection from deportation and a Social Security number while they wait for their permanent immigration benefits. Individuals who are granted PIP through this process then can adjust to permanent residence status without leaving the country, and eventually become eligible for U.S. citizenship.
Who is Eligible?
You may be eligible to apply for PIP if you:
- Entered the United States unlawfully and are currently undocumented.
- Have been present in the United States for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024.
- Do not have a disqualifying criminal history or pose a threat to national security or public safety.
- Are married to a U.S. citizen as of June 17, 2024.
Note: Children of PIP recipients also are able to apply for PIP if they are younger than 21 and have a qualifying stepchild relationship to the U.S. citizen spouse.
How Does PIP Help Working Families?
PIP helps keep working families together and removes barriers to citizenship for long-term members of our workforce, our communities and our unions. Any policies that strengthen protection for immigrant workers help strengthen worker rights, improve working conditions and keep us all safer on the job. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates that approximately 500,000 spouses of U.S. citizens could be eligible to access these protections.
How is PIP Different from Other Immigration Protections?
Unlike other pro-worker forms of immigration relief such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and deferred action, which are completely temporary in nature, PIP removes barriers to adjustment of status based on family relationships. Once granted PIP, workers can apply for a green card without leaving the country, putting them on a path to citizenship.
When Can I Apply?
USCIS will begin to accept applications on Aug. 19, 2024. Workers should be prepared to apply as soon as the application period is open. Applications received before that date will be denied.
What Can I do to Prepare?
It is important to note that the PIP application process will not be open until the government posts a formal notice with all the details. In the meantime, workers can begin preparing, but should not pay any money to an attorney or notario. Workers can start saving money for the application fee and related costs now, and begin gathering documents that prove eligibility, including:
- Documents to prove identity or nationality.
- Proof of a legally valid marriage, like a marriage certificate.
- Evidence of the spouse’s U.S. citizenship.
- Documents that demonstrate having lived continuously in the United States for 10 years.
To apply for PIP, workers must submit forms and documents to DHS, pay fees and undergo security screening. Before workers file PIP applications, they should undergo legal screenings with an immigration attorney to ensure they will not put their families at risk by applying.
People with prior charges, convictions or contact with law enforcement and/or immigration authorities should have an attorney review their criminal record and immigration history. Leaving the country before obtaining PIP could jeopardize an application.
What if I'm Not Eligible for PIP?
PIP is an important new benefit for those who meet the criteria. However, millions of immigrant workers who need and deserve relief will not be able to apply. Unions will continue to fight for improved protections for all workers, and remain steadfast in the fight to win a path to citizenship for everyone who lives and works here.
How Did We Win This?
Unions, workers and advocates have long called for improved protections for immigrant workers and a path to citizenship for all who help our country prosper. In response to that advocacy and in light of congressional inaction, the Biden-Harris administration has taken many steps to improve conditions for immigrant families and promote family unity, including PIP, TPS and deferred action for workers. PIP is further proof of the type of results we get when we elect pro-worker candidates who are committed to providing concrete support to working families.
What Role Do Unions Have to Play?
Unions are a key source of information and support for all workers, regardless of immigration status. PIP creates a tremendous opportunity to strengthen worker rights and protections, and unions are committed to helping workers through the process. People who receive work permits through PIP will have the potential to access new and better employment opportunities. Unions will keep fighting for policies like PIP that support our broader fight for worker justice and help us hold abusive employers accountable.