# DHS Ends Family Reunification Parole for 7 Countries — Deportation Deadline January 14 > DHS is shutting down Family Reunification Parole programs for nationals from Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. If you're in the US under one of these programs, your parole — and your work authorization — ends January 14, 2026, unless you already filed for a green card. Time is critically short. Canonical URL: https://thevisapulse.com/updates/dhs-terminates-family-reunification-parole-frp-2025 ## At a glance - **Policy status:** Status unverified - **Last verified:** Not recorded - **Human review:** No human review recorded - **Published:** 2025-12-15 - **Effective:** 2025-12-15 - **Impact:** high - **Document type:** Notice - **Source agency:** Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - **Document number:** 2025-22744 - **Visa types:** Parole, Family Reunification Parole, EAD Publication dates and impact ratings do not establish whether a policy is in force. Verify current status against the linked government evidence. See /about for our editorial process. ## Who is affected - Colombian, Cuban, Ecuadorian, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Haitian, and Honduran nationals currently in the US under FRP parole - Immediate family members paroled under FRP programs - FRP parolees with employment authorization based on parole status - US-based sponsors who petitioned under these programs - Employers of FRP parolees ## Key changes - All nine Family Reunification Parole programs are terminated effective December 15, 2025. - Individual parole statuses for current FRP parolees end January 14, 2026. - Employment authorization tied to FRP parole status is also revoked. - Exception exists only for those with a pending Form I-485 filed on or before December 15, 2025, or a case-by-case determination by the Secretary. - Affected individuals without a lawful basis to remain must depart the US before January 14, 2026. ## What you should do Contact an immigration attorney immediately. If you or a family member is in the US under FRP parole, you have until January 14, 2026 to either qualify for an exception (pending I-485) or depart the US. Do not wait. 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. ## At a Glance - **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. ## Sources - Government source · federalregister.gov: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/15/2025-22744/termination-of-family-reunification-parole-processes-for-colombians-cubans-ecuadorians-guatemalans - Source PDF: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-12-15/pdf/2025-22744.pdf --- _The Visa Pulse — Immigration Policy, Explained. Informational coverage of U.S. immigration policy, not legal advice._ - HTML version: https://thevisapulse.com/updates/dhs-terminates-family-reunification-parole-frp-2025 - Markdown version: https://thevisapulse.com/updates/dhs-terminates-family-reunification-parole-frp-2025.md - Agent instructions: https://thevisapulse.com/llms.txt - Sitemap: https://thevisapulse.com/sitemap.xml