CHNV Parole Has Ended: Status for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans
The CHNV parole processes let Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans with a US financial supporter come to the United States for up to 2 years. DHS stopped new cases in January 2025 and terminated the program in a Federal Register notice on March 25, 2025, ending most parolees' permission to stay and work. The Supreme Court allowed the terminations to take effect on May 30, 2025, and no new applications are accepted.
On this page
- Program
- Parole processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV)
- Ran from
- Oct 2022 (Venezuela) and Jan 2023 (all four countries)
- Scale
- Up to 30,000 people a month across the four countries
- Termination notice
- Federal Register, Mar 25, 2025
- Supreme Court
- Let the terminations take effect on May 30, 2025
- New applications
- None accepted
- Related changes
- TPS ended for Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela; travel ban covers Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct 2022 | DHS launches a parole process for Venezuelans with US supporters |
| Jan 2023 | The process expands to Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans, with up to 30,000 people a month in total |
| Jan 2025 | DHS stops approving new travel authorizations after an executive order directs an end to categorical parole programs |
| Mar 25, 2025 | A Federal Register notice terminates the CHNV processes; parole for people without another basis to stay is set to end 30 days later |
| Apr 2025 | A federal district court in Massachusetts temporarily blocks the mass termination of existing paroles |
| May 30, 2025 | The Supreme Court stays that order, letting the terminations take effect while litigation continues |
| June 2025 onward | DHS sends individual termination notices to parolees |
What the CHNV program was
CHNV used parole, a temporary permission to enter the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. It was not a visa or a path to a green card on its own. Each applicant needed a US-based supporter who filed Form I-134A and promised financial support. Approved people flew to the US at their own expense and could receive parole for up to 2 years and apply for a work permit.
What it means now
- No new applications are accepted, and supporters can no longer file Form I-134A for CHNV.
- Parole has ended for most people who came through CHNV and had no other basis to stay. Parole-based work permits ended with it.
- People with pending applications for another status, such as asylum or a green card, may have a basis to remain while those are decided, but the facts matter.
- Related protections also ended. TPS for Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has been terminated; see TPS terminations.
- New visas are harder. Haiti is under a full travel ban, and Cuba and Venezuela are under partial restrictions. See travel ban.
Options for former CHNV parolees
A licensed immigration lawyer or nonprofit legal service can check whether you qualify for:
- The Cuban Adjustment Act. Cubans who were paroled into the US and have been physically present for at least 1 year may be able to apply for a green card. This is a separate law from CHNV.
- Asylum, generally filed within 1 year of arrival, with some exceptions for changed or extraordinary circumstances.
- A family-based green card through a US citizen spouse, parent, or adult child. See adjustment of status, which became more discretionary under a May 2026 USCIS memo.
- Other humanitarian relief, such as U visas or T visas.
If you have no pending application and no other status, you are accruing unlawful presence, which can lead to bars on returning later.
What to do now
- Read any notice from DHS carefully and note the dates.
- Get a legal consultation quickly, especially about asylum deadlines or Cuban Adjustment Act eligibility.
- Keep your address updated with USCIS so you receive notices.
- Avoid fraud. Only lawyers and accredited representatives may give immigration legal advice. See notario fraud.
Frequently asked questions
Is the CHNV parole program still open?
No. DHS terminated it in March 2025, and no new applications are accepted.
Is CHNV parole still valid?
For most people, no. DHS ended parole for CHNV parolees without another basis to stay, and the Supreme Court let the terminations take effect on May 30, 2025.
Can Cuban CHNV parolees get a green card?
Some may qualify under the Cuban Adjustment Act after 1 year of physical presence in the US. Talk to a lawyer about your case.
Can former CHNV parolees still work?
Work permits based on CHNV parole ended with the parole. You may be able to work if you have another basis, such as a pending asylum case with its own work permit.
Is there a replacement program?
No replacement parole program for these four countries had been announced as of September 22, 2026.
Official sources
General information, not legal advice. NorthAmericans.com is independent and not affiliated with any government.