Did you know that the United States issued over 120,000 visas to noncitizens in 2023 alone? And, nearly half of the visas issued were on the basis of humanitarian immigration. This shows that humanitarian immigration can be a viable route for getting a residency permit in the country.
For years, the humanitarian visa has been one of the fastest to process. However, the United States, in recent times, is putting more effort into helping humanitarian victims find new homes. For instance, out of the nearly 100,000 refugee applicants interviewed in the last year, over 60,000 were issued visas.
Now, while that’s quite an impressive number, it certainly doesn’t make the process any less complicated. Luckily, this article will explain the concept of humanitarian immigration, why it’s a viable option for you, and how to navigate the application process.Â
What is Humanitarian Immigration?
Humanitarian immigration is an immigration option that relates to people who are forced to leave their home country and relocate to another country. This can either be temporal if the reason for relocation is sorted out quickly or permanent if such persons are unable or unwilling to go home because of life-threatening emergencies. Basically, this option helps ensure that people who are displaced from their homes are granted residency and protection in another state.
Who Qualifies for Humanitarian Immigration in the United States?
In the past decades, the United States has been at the forefront among countries accepting humanitarian immigrants. However, it goes without saying not you can’t just apply for this visa option unless you qualify to receive such humanitarian aid. For clarity, here are the different groups that qualify for humanitarian visas in the US.
The first set is refugees. These are people forced to leave their countries into another country because of issues beyond their control like wars, persecution, or natural disasters. This term is used colloquially to refer to people fleeing their country in fear of or for an actual persecution or problem. However, in the case of humanitarian immigration, it only refers to those who flee to another country to wait for resettlement into a third country.
The next set is asylum seekers. They are similar to refugees but refer to people who travel directly to another country to seek safe haven there. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) also qualify for humanitarian visas. They refer to a group of displaced people who are yet to cross borders into another country.
Human trafficking victims and unaccompanied minors are also considered for this immigration option. And finally, the immediate relatives of already settled refugees can also apply for humanitarian immigration visas to reunite with their families. However, the option is only open to spouses and unmarried children younger than 21 years.
Humanitarian Immigration Visa Vs. Humanitarian Parole
Another entry option that has been thoroughly linked with humanitarian immigration in recent years is the humanitarian parole program. This is because both options grant entry to noncitizens on a humanitarian bases. However, the two options are not exactly the same, and here’s why.
Firstly, like the humanitarian visa, the humanitarian parole program offers entry to noncitizens who otherwise may not qualify. But much unlike humanitarian immigration, permanent visas can not be issued to parole beneficiaries. This is because they are only allowed into the country because of emergencies, so they are expected to leave after the emergency is taken care of. Essentially, humanitarian parole is a branch of humanitarian immigration that attends to people with emergencies. That said, here are some emergencies worthy of the humanitarian parole pass into the United States include Â
- If you are an important witness to a trial happening in the United States.
- If you have severe health issues and can only get quality treatment in the United States.
- If you have a sick relative in the United States who needs to be cared for specially.
- If a family member passed away in the United States and you wish to attend the funeral service.
These are all urgent matters that may not fall under a particular visa option, according to the USCIS. So, the United States Humanitarian Parole Program helps proffer a quick, albeit temporal solution. Also, parole applications are processed much faster than actual humanitarian visas.
Why Humanitarian Immigration Maybe a Viable Immigration Option For You
Humanitarian immigration visas are often considered the easiest to obtain because they are often given priority attention. In fact, it is an international obligation to protect refugees and other set of immigrants that fall under the category. Of course, humanitarian immigration applications can be denied, just like other visa categories. As long as your claim is genuine, you stand a higher chance of gaining residency with this option.
Why You’ll Want a Lawyer to Help in Your Humanitarian Immigration Visas Application
Humanitarian visas may be one of the priority immigration options, but the process can often get complicated sometimes. For example, did you know that any individual seeking status as a refugee in the United States undergoes several screening processes?
Also, the fact that immigration visas can be denied means you certainly don’t want to get any step wrong. Well, the best solution to get your application over the line successfully is to hire an immigration attorney to help you out. Firstly, having your personal immigration lawyer means you have an experienced person to answer any questions you may have. From choosing the right option to preparing for your immigration interview, your lawyer can make each of these steps much easier for you.
Moreover, if your humanitarian immigration application gets denied for any reason, you might need to appeal the decision. Now, an attorney becomes absolutely necessary, and it would make a world of difference if you already have one at your disposal.
The Coleman Law Group Can Help You
The Coleman Law Group is always available to help with your immigration application. Also, you can count on our experienced lawyers to help make the entire process smooth and successful.
