Parole in place is a way that immediate relatives of military service members or veterans can apply for a green card after illegally entering the United States. Parole in place gives applicants the temporary right to remain in the United States, in 1-year increments. Upon approval of parole in place, the applicant can then apply for adjustment of status, ultimately acquiring their green card without having to go abroad for consular processing.
To be eligible for parole in place, the applicant must be an immediate relative of a military service member. This includes being the spouse, widow(er), parent, or son/daughter of an active-duty service member or veteran of the United States Armed Forces or the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve.
Parole in place is a discretionary program through USCIS, granted on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. It does not guarantee that the applicant will receive a green card. When granted, parole in place is considered a lawful immigration status and enables the applicant to apply for several immigration benefits, such as applying for a work permit.
To learn more about Parole in Place, including eligibility requirements and required documents, click the "Learn More" button below:
On July 1, 2022, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) rescinded a decision in the matter of Z-R-Z-C. This rescission overturned a decision made by the former Trump administration. Now, immigrants with temporary protected status who travel abroad on advance parole can use that parole to satisfy a requirement for adjustment of status.
Under the former Trump Administration, immigrants with Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, who travelled outside the United States on advance parole, would have trouble applying for adjustment of status after returning. This decision also impacted DACA recipients who travelled abroad on advance parole. The Z-R-Z-C decision held that travel outside the United States under advance parole did not satisfy the requirements of being "inspected and admitted or paroled" for the purposes of adjustment of status.
Now that the Z-R-Z-C decision has been rescinded, or overturned, USCIS will again allow applicants to use advance parole travel to satisfy requirements for adjustment of status. This means that those with TPS or DACA can travel abroad on advance parole, and use that admission for the purpose of obtaining additional immigration benefits, such as a green card.
In July, immigration lawyer Spojmie Nasiri earned recognition as a 2022 "Top Rated Immigration Attorney" for Northern California by Super Lawyers®.
Super Lawyers® is a lawyer rating service that is part of Thomson Reuters. Their patented selection process uses a combination of peer nominations, independent research, and peer evaluations. Through this process, the top 5% of lawyers in a given region and practice area are recognized as Super Lawyers®.
The Super Lawyers® distinction indicates a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Spojmie first earned status in 2015 & 2016 when she was selected as a "Rising Star". She was first selected to the top 5% of attorneys in 2021. Client service and legal excellence are two important elements of our practice, and we are proud that Spojmie has again been recognized as a top-rated immigration attorney by Super Lawyers® in 2022!
The harrowing sights of the chaotic flights from Bagram Airforce Base in Kabul Afghanistan a year ago remain in our minds to this day. Throngs of distressed women, children, and men sought safety and refuge at the airport, many fearful for their lives after having worked side by side with Americans for a decade. That work put their lives at risk as the Taliban took power. More than 76,000 people were paroled into the United States between July and August 31, 2021, when the last American troops left.
As we mark the one-year anniversary of the U.S. departure from Kabul, we can be proud of the monumental efforts that have been taken by thousands of Americans to support Afghans, but clearly, there is much more to be done. Our allies who have been left behind, those who have supported the U.S. mission, and those who had to leave loved ones behind, need to be offered a safe pathway out of Afghanistan.
Immigration attorney Spojmie Nasiri was recently interviewed as a guest on the Inadmissible podcast. The podcast is produced by VECINA, a non-profit organization committed to justice for immigrants by providing mentorship for attorneys, volunteer mobilization, and educational content.
Spojmie was featured on Episode 4, titled: "Left Behind: The Aftermath of the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan". Almost one year ago, the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the country fell to Taliban rule. While some were able to evacuate in the chaos, tens of thousands of Afghans remain in hiding, many of whom are specifically targeted due to the assistance they provided U.S. forces.
On this episode, Spojmie shares some of the harrowing stories that she heard from many families seeking safety in the U.S. She talks about her work and experience after the fall of Kabul, and the policy choices our government has made along the way.
