This week, hopeful news for Ecuadorians was announced: the United States announced a new family reunification process. Family members will be allowed to reunite on U.S. soil “while they wait for their immigrant visas to become available.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published in mid-week “a notice in the Federal Register implementing a new humanitarian family reunification permit process (FRP) for Ecuador, furthering the combination of the Biden administration and Harris to expand the legal expand opportunities and strengthen law enforcement to reduce irregular immigration.”

This is the bill that could provide permanent residency to people who have been in the United States for more than seven years

Who is the humanitarian family reunification permit intended for?

On November 15, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported the implementation of a new humanitarian authorization procedure for family reunification for Ecuadorian citizens and their immediate family members.

Applicants should receive an invitation to participate in this process. The National Visa Center will begin sending out invitations for Humanitarian Family Reunification Authorization for Ecuador beginning Friday, November 17, 2023, USCIS announced.

It is important to note that the new FRP process “is available by invitation only to certain citizens of Ecuador and allows eligible benefits to be considered for temporary authorization to remain in the United States on a case-by-case basis , pending their application.” A family-based immigrant visa is available.”

The process aims to reunite families more quickly and provide an alternative to dangerous irregular migration.

USCIS

Eligible

The US agency emphasizes that “certain Ecuadorian nationals who are beneficiaries of an approved Form I-130, Petition for Foreign Relative, may be eligible to qualify for temporary residency under the new FRP processes.”

Qualified beneficiaries must:

The United States announces a family reunification process for Ecuadorians

The step-by-step process

The process starts when The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues an invitation to initiate the process for certain U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident filers who have an approved Form I-130 on behalf of an Ecuadorian beneficiary.

The beneficiaries waiting for an immigrant visa may include certain children and siblings of US citizens and certain spouses and children of permanent residents.

The invited petitioner can then apply to become a supporter for the beneficiary and eligible family members, who may then qualify for prior travel authorization and temporary residence permit.

DHS will begin using Form I-134A, Online Petition to Become a Supporting Person and Statement of Financial Support for this process beginning November 17, 2023.

USCIS

As with all applications for a temporary residence permit, this FRP process applies to Ecuador Consent is only granted on a discretionary basis, on a case-by-case basis.and temporarily after a determination that there are compelling humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit to approve the temporary residence permit and that the beneficiary deserves favorable discretion.

Non-citizens Those granted temporary parole to the United States under this process are generally eligible for temporary parole for up to three years and are eligible to apply for employment authorization while they wait for their immigrant visas to become available comes.

When their immigrant visa is available, they can apply to become legal permanent residents.

Safe migration

FRP processes, USCIS emphasizes, promote family unity and are part of global measures announced in April to promote safe and orderly immigration pathways, consistent with the goals of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection.

For more information about the Federal Register notice, visit this link

(JO)