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In our last two blog posts, we have focused heavily on the new Parole-in-Place (PIP) program announced by President Biden previous month. This program is an expansion of existing PIP regulations. In this blog post, we will break down exactly what the concept of PIP is and how it has existed previously in American immigration law. PIP began in 2007 and refers to the process of allowing a person who entered the United States without authorization to stay legally for a certain time. This is contrasted with the more general practice of parole upon entry to the United States. Parole grants official permission to enter and remain temporarily in the U.S. to persons but can only be granted upon initial entry. This means that persons who entered without authorization cannot receive that legal protection, a caveat that has put many persons in a state of constant anxiety regarding their immigration status. 

This is what PIP was intended to fix when it was first introduced for introduction specifically for undocumented spouses of U.S. military personnel. PIP is granted to these spouses on a case-by-case basis when the deportation of the spouse would directly affect the service member. PIP also grants these undocumented individuals the opportunity to seek a work permit, something incredibly valuable for persons individuals whose spouses are currently deployed in the military. PIP grants protections to individual military spouses for one year and, upon receiving approval, this protection cannot be revoked until it expires at the end of the one year. 

Before PIP, if an undocumented spouse of an American citizen sought to apply for Adjustment of Status, they had to exit the country and apply for an immigrant visa at the U.S. embassy in their home country. However, if a person has unlawfully entered the U.S. and has resided here for over a year, they are subject to a ten-year bar from entering the U.S. In its conception, PIP eliminated this barrier for the spouses of military personnel, an act intended to reduce the anxiety of both the service member as well as their family. 

PIP has been an essential part of immigration policy since 2007, despite only applying to a limited population. Now, with the announcement of the “Keeping American Families Together” program, PIP is receiving a major expansion that is not just limited to spouses of military personnel. We have explored the proposed new PIP expansion in two previous blog posts titled The New Biden Plan “Keeping American Families Together” Through Parole-In-Place For Spouses Of U.S. Citizens and Conditions For Parole-In-Place Program. Please read these blog posts for more extensive information regarding the new application of PIP. Do not hesitate to reach out to the Benach Collopy team at 202-644-6800 with any questions regarding PIP.