The US government announced on December 12, 2025, the immediate termination of the Family Reunification Parole program, which allowed certain relatives of US citizens temporary entry into the country. This measure affects citizens from Cuba and other regional countries, requiring them to wait outside the US for their visas. The decision aims to restrict parole to individual exceptional cases.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the cancellation of the Family Reunification Parole program, a mechanism that enabled temporary entry for adult children or siblings of US citizens while awaiting their immigrant visas. The measure, effective immediately, requires applicants from Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras to remain outside the country throughout the regular consular process.
According to DHS, the parole does not eliminate family petitions or immigrant visas, which continue under US immigration law. However, it argues that the expanded use of this parole exceeded legal limits set by Congress. "The Department is terminating the categorical Family Reunification Parole programs to restore the proper and limited use of this legal authority," states the notice published on the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.
The parole for all admitted beneficiaries will automatically expire on January 14, 2026, except in one case: if Form I-485 (Application to Adjust Status) was filed before December 15, 2025, and remains pending. In such situations, the parole stays in effect temporarily until a final decision or until the parole period ends, whichever comes first. If the application is denied, the parole is revoked immediately, and the person must leave the US without delay.
For the Cuban community, this policy signifies a major tightening of wait times, as the program had shortened family separations in categories with multi-year delays. DHS justifies the decision as restoring order to the immigration system amid regional migratory pressures. The formalization will occur on December 15, 2025, in the Federal Register, the official US government gazette.
