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On Wednesday, July 17, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would begin accepting applications for the new parole-in-place (PIP) for undocumented spouses program on August 19, 2024. As of today, there is no form, mailing address or filing fee for the PIP program, so actual preparation of filings can not yet happen.  USCIS will publish information shortly detailing how individuals may apply.  

Applications submitted before August 19 will be rejected, but ,nonetheless, there are some steps that potential applicants may take right now to prepare. 

President Joe Biden introduced the new PIP program on June 18 as a way to provide undocumented spouses of American citizens with parole and a path to lawful permanent residence without having to leave the US. Eligible applicants must:

• have been present in the US for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024, without previously receiving legal admission or parole. 
• have had a legally-valid marriage to a US citizen as of June 17, 2024, 
• Not have any “disqualifying criminal history” or constitute a “threat to national security or public safety.” 

Noncitizen children of requestors may be considered if they were physically present in the US without admission or parole as of June 17, 2024 and have a valid stepchild relationship with a US citizen. More information about eligibility requirements will be made public in an upcoming Federal Register notice. 

While it is not possible to prepare a formal application at this time, Benach Collopy  encourages applicants to gather evidence of their eligibility and to create or update their USCIS online accounts. Evidence for the application may include: 

• Documentation of a legally-valid marriage (ex. marriage certificate)
• Proof of identity (ex. state or country’s driver’s license or identification, birth certificate with photo identification, passport, or any government-issued document with applicant’s name, date of birth, and photo)
• Proof of spouse’s US citizenship (passport, birth certificate, or Certificate of Naturalization)
• Documentation establishing applicant’s continued presence in the US for at least 10 years (ex. rent receipts, utility bills, school records, hospital/medical records, attestations to your residence by religious entities/unions/other organizations, money order receipts, birth certificates of children born in the US, dated bank transactions, automobile license receipts/title/registration, deeds/mortgages/rental agreements, insurance policies, or tax returns/receipts)

Noncitizen children of applicants may gather documentation such as:

• Evidence of relationship to noncitizen parent (ex. birth certificate or adoption decree)
• Evidence of the noncitizen parent’s legally-valid marriage to a US citizen (ex. marriage certificate)
• Evidence of child’s presence in the US as of June 17, 2024

No application may be filed before August 19.  Benach Collopy encourages all to be vigilant against scams that target immigrant communities.  Please confirm all information with official sources such as USCIS’s Process to Promote the Unity and Stability of Families webpage for all the latest updates.

More information about the PIP application, including a Federal Register notice, will be announced leading up to August 19, when the process is officially opened.  In the meantime, applicants should begin gathering necessary evidence and documentation in preparation for the application going live next month. For questions and assistance with this process, please reach out to Benach Collopy at 202-644-8600 to set up a consultation today.