Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program, 65588 [E7-22679]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 224 / Wednesday, November 21, 2007 / Notices
Dated: November 16, 2007.
Richard A. Sloan,
Chief, Regulatory Management Division, U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services,
Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. E7–22771 Filed 11–20–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–10–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services
[CIS No. 2426–07; DHS Docket No. USCIS–
2007–0043]
RIN 1615–ZA61
Cuban Family Reunification Parole
Program
U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services, DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This Notice announces U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services’
Cuban Family Reunification Parole
Program. Under this program, U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services is
offering beneficiaries of approved
family-based immigrant visa petitions
an opportunity to receive a
discretionary grant of parole to come to
the United States rather than remain in
Cuba to apply for lawful permanent
resident status. The purpose of the
program is to expedite family
reunification through safe, legal, and
orderly channels of migration to the
United States and to discourage
irregular and inherently dangerous
maritime migration.
DATES: This Notice is effective
November 21, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Manpreet S. Dhanjal, Refugee Officer,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, Department of Homeland
Security, 111 Massachusetts Avenue,
NW., 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20529,
Telephone (202) 272–1613.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
I. Background
In furtherance of the U.S.-Cuba
Migration Accords, the United States
endeavors to provide a minimum of
20,000 travel documents annually to
aspiring Cuban emigrants. See Joint
´
Communique on Migration, U.S.-Cuba
(Sept. 9, 1994) (known together with the
May 2, 1995 Joint Statement as the U.S.Cuba Migration Accords (hereinafter
‘‘Migration Accords’’)). In so doing, the
United States offers a safe, legal, and
orderly means of coming to the United
States. To date, the majority of travel
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:56 Nov 20, 2007
Jkt 214001
documents issued under the Migration
Accords fall into one of three programs:
family-based immigrant visas; refugee
resettlement; and parole under the
Special Cuban Migration Program, also
referred to as the Cuban Lottery. For
information on the Cuban Lottery, see
https://havana.usinterestsection.gov/
diversity_program.html.
Two aspects of the existing array of
migration programs limit the ability of
the United States to effectively promote
safe, legal, and orderly migration as an
alternative to maritime crossings. First,
with the exception of ‘‘immediate
relatives’’ (e.g., spouse, unmarried
child) of U.S. citizens (USCs), the
number of family-based immigrant visas
that are available in any given year is
limited by statute. See Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA) sections 201(c),
202(a) & 203, 8 U.S.C. 1151(c), 1152(a)
& 1153. The statutory caps have resulted
in long waiting periods before family
members remaining in Cuba may rejoin
the USCs and lawful permanent
residents (LPRs) residing in the United
States who petitioned for them. Second,
the United States has not been
permitted to hold a new registration
period since 1998 due to constraints
placed on the Cuban Lottery program by
the Cuban Government. This greatly
reduces the pool of individuals to whom
the United States may issue travel
documents.
For these reasons, this Notice adds the
Cuban Family Reunification Parole
(CFRP) Program to the list of migrant
programs based on which the United
States issues travel documents under
the Migration Accords.
II. The CFRP Program
Under the CFRP Program, USCIS may
exercise its discretionary parole
authority to permit eligible Cuban
nationals to come to the United States
to rejoin their family members. See INA
section 212(d)(5)(A), 8 U.S.C.
1182(d)(5)(A) (permits parole of an alien
into the United States for urgent
humanitarian reasons or significant
public benefit); see also 8 CFR 212.5(c)
& (d) (discretionary authority for
granting parole). Granting parole to
eligible aliens under the CFRP Program
serves the significant public benefit of
enabling the United States to meet its
commitments under the Migration
Accords as well as reducing the
perceived need for family members left
behind in Cuba to make irregular and
inherently dangerous attempts to arrive
in the United States through unsafe
maritime crossings, thereby
discouraging alien smuggling as a means
to enter the United States. Whether to
parole a particular alien remains,
PO 00000
Frm 00032
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
however, a case-by-case, discretionary
determination.
III. Participation in the CFRP Program
USCIS will offer participation in the
CFRP Program to Cuban nationals who
reside in Cuba and who are the
beneficiaries (including any
accompanying or following to join
spouse and children (see INA section
203(d), 8 U.S.C. 1153(d)) of a properly
filed Form I–130, ‘‘Petition for Alien
Relative,’’ that has been approved, but
for which an immigrant visa is not yet
immediately available.
Under the CFRP Program, USCIS or
the Department of State’s National Visa
Center (NVC) will mail written notice to
U.S.-based USC and LPR petitioners
whose Forms I–130 have been approved
regarding their beneficiary’s eligibility
to participate in the CFRP Program and
the procedures for requesting parole.
However, participation in the CFRP is
voluntary. If USCIS exercises its
discretion to grant parole, it will issue
the necessary U.S. travel documents to
the beneficiary in Cuba. These travel
documents will enable the beneficiary
to travel safely to the United States to
rejoin his or her family members.
Participation in the CFRP Program is
not available to aliens who qualify as
‘‘immediate relatives’’ under section
201(b)(2)(A)(i) of the INA, 8 U.S.C.
1151(b)(2)(A)(i). The extraordinary
benefit of parole is not needed for these
aliens, since they may seek visas for
travel to the United States immediately
upon the approval of Form I–130.
Additional information about the
CFRP Program will be posted at
https://www.uscis.gov.
Dated: November 15, 2007.
Emilio T. Gonzalez,
Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services.
[FR Doc. E7–22679 Filed 11–20–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–10–P
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–5123–N–16]
Notice of Proposed Information
Collection for Public Comment: Notice
of Funding Availability for the Tribal
Colleges and University Programs
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Policy Development and
Research, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The proposed information
collection requirement described below
will be submitted to the Office of
E:\FR\FM\21NON1.SGM
21NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 21, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 65588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22679]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
[CIS No. 2426-07; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2007-0043]
RIN 1615-ZA61
Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program
AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This Notice announces U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services' Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program. Under this
program, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is offering
beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an
opportunity to receive a discretionary grant of parole to come to the
United States rather than remain in Cuba to apply for lawful permanent
resident status. The purpose of the program is to expedite family
reunification through safe, legal, and orderly channels of migration to
the United States and to discourage irregular and inherently dangerous
maritime migration.
DATES: This Notice is effective November 21, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Manpreet S. Dhanjal, Refugee Officer,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland
Security, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., 8th Floor, Washington, DC
20529, Telephone (202) 272-1613.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
In furtherance of the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords, the United
States endeavors to provide a minimum of 20,000 travel documents
annually to aspiring Cuban emigrants. See Joint Communiqu[eacute] on
Migration, U.S.-Cuba (Sept. 9, 1994) (known together with the May 2,
1995 Joint Statement as the U.S.-Cuba Migration Accords (hereinafter
``Migration Accords'')). In so doing, the United States offers a safe,
legal, and orderly means of coming to the United States. To date, the
majority of travel documents issued under the Migration Accords fall
into one of three programs: family-based immigrant visas; refugee
resettlement; and parole under the Special Cuban Migration Program,
also referred to as the Cuban Lottery. For information on the Cuban
Lottery, see https://havana.usinterestsection.gov/diversity_
program.html.
Two aspects of the existing array of migration programs limit the
ability of the United States to effectively promote safe, legal, and
orderly migration as an alternative to maritime crossings. First, with
the exception of ``immediate relatives'' (e.g., spouse, unmarried
child) of U.S. citizens (USCs), the number of family-based immigrant
visas that are available in any given year is limited by statute. See
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sections 201(c), 202(a) & 203, 8
U.S.C. 1151(c), 1152(a) & 1153. The statutory caps have resulted in
long waiting periods before family members remaining in Cuba may rejoin
the USCs and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) residing in the United
States who petitioned for them. Second, the United States has not been
permitted to hold a new registration period since 1998 due to
constraints placed on the Cuban Lottery program by the Cuban
Government. This greatly reduces the pool of individuals to whom the
United States may issue travel documents.
For these reasons, this Notice adds the Cuban Family Reunification
Parole (CFRP) Program to the list of migrant programs based on which
the United States issues travel documents under the Migration Accords.
II. The CFRP Program
Under the CFRP Program, USCIS may exercise its discretionary parole
authority to permit eligible Cuban nationals to come to the United
States to rejoin their family members. See INA section 212(d)(5)(A), 8
U.S.C. 1182(d)(5)(A) (permits parole of an alien into the United States
for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit); see
also 8 CFR 212.5(c) & (d) (discretionary authority for granting
parole). Granting parole to eligible aliens under the CFRP Program
serves the significant public benefit of enabling the United States to
meet its commitments under the Migration Accords as well as reducing
the perceived need for family members left behind in Cuba to make
irregular and inherently dangerous attempts to arrive in the United
States through unsafe maritime crossings, thereby discouraging alien
smuggling as a means to enter the United States. Whether to parole a
particular alien remains, however, a case-by-case, discretionary
determination.
III. Participation in the CFRP Program
USCIS will offer participation in the CFRP Program to Cuban
nationals who reside in Cuba and who are the beneficiaries (including
any accompanying or following to join spouse and children (see INA
section 203(d), 8 U.S.C. 1153(d)) of a properly filed Form I-130,
``Petition for Alien Relative,'' that has been approved, but for which
an immigrant visa is not yet immediately available.
Under the CFRP Program, USCIS or the Department of State's National
Visa Center (NVC) will mail written notice to U.S.-based USC and LPR
petitioners whose Forms I-130 have been approved regarding their
beneficiary's eligibility to participate in the CFRP Program and the
procedures for requesting parole. However, participation in the CFRP is
voluntary. If USCIS exercises its discretion to grant parole, it will
issue the necessary U.S. travel documents to the beneficiary in Cuba.
These travel documents will enable the beneficiary to travel safely to
the United States to rejoin his or her family members.
Participation in the CFRP Program is not available to aliens who
qualify as ``immediate relatives'' under section 201(b)(2)(A)(i) of the
INA, 8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(2)(A)(i). The extraordinary benefit of parole is
not needed for these aliens, since they may seek visas for travel to
the United States immediately upon the approval of Form I-130.
Additional information about the CFRP Program will be posted at
https://www.uscis.gov.
Dated: November 15, 2007.
Emilio T. Gonzalez,
Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
[FR Doc. E7-22679 Filed 11-20-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-10-P
