DHS has officially terminated all Family Reunification Parole (FRP) programs for nationals from seven countries, effective December 15, 2025. If you or a family member entered the US under one of these programs, your legal status and work authorization are set to expire January 14, 2026 — unless you qualify for one of two narrow exceptions. This is one of the most consequential immigration actions of 2025 for affected communities.

Key Points

  • What: DHS is terminating all nine Family Reunification Parole programs for nationals of Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras.
  • Who: Individuals currently in the US on FRP parole and their immediate family members, including those under legacy Cuban and Haitian FRP programs dating back to 2007 and 2014.
  • When: Programs terminated December 15, 2025; individual parole statuses end January 14, 2026 (unless an exception applies).
  • Impact: Those without a qualifying exception must leave the US before January 14, 2026, or face unlawful presence and potential removal.

What's Happening

The FRP programs allowed US residents with approved Form I-130 petitions (the family-based green card petition) to sponsor relatives from designated countries to come to the US on temporary parole while awaiting their immigrant visa. Nine programs are now being shuttered:

  • Modernized programs (2023): Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras
  • Legacy programs: Cuban FRP (originally 2007) and Haitian FRP (originally 2014)

DHS is acting pursuant to Executive Order 14165, "Securing Our Borders," signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025, which directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to terminate all categorical parole programs contrary to current US immigration policy.

Who Gets to Stay

Two exceptions exist. Your parole will not terminate on January 14, 2026 if:

  1. You filed a Form I-485 (Application to Adjust Status — the green card application) that was postmarked or electronically submitted on or before December 15, 2025, and that application is still pending adjudication.
  2. The Secretary of Homeland Security determines otherwise on a case-by-case basis.

That's it. If neither exception applies to you, DHS says you must depart the US before your parole termination date.

Work Authorization Also Ends

Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) granted because of FRP parole status will also be revoked. If your work authorization was tied to your parole status, you cannot legally work after your parole terminates. Employers of FRP parolees need to be aware of this as well.

The Stakes Are Real

Remaining in the US after your parole terminates — without another lawful basis to stay — means you are accruing unlawful presence. This can trigger multi-year bars to re-entry and significantly complicate any future immigration applications.

What You Should Do

  • If you're on FRP parole: Contact an immigration attorney immediately. The January 14, 2026 deadline is weeks away.
  • If you filed Form I-485 before December 15, 2025: Confirm your receipt notice and gather proof of that filing — this is your exception.
  • If you have not filed for adjustment of status: Consult a lawyer today to assess whether any other lawful basis to remain exists (asylum, other visa status, etc.).
  • Employers: Verify the immigration status of any employees who entered under FRP. You may need to update I-9 records.
  • Sponsors: If you filed an I-134A for a family member still outside the US, their travel authorization is also terminated — do not make travel arrangements under the FRP program.