OK Immigration

Who Qualifies Under this Program?

Any current serving member of the Armed Forces with undocumented immediate family members.

What is Parole in Place (PiP), and what separates it from all other Immigration Programs?

PiP is a federal program that exists to achieve legal status for Soldier’s family members. It does this by granting a “Parole Status” to the parents, spouse, or unmarried children under 21 years old. This program does NOT apply to siblings or other kinds of families.

The key to understanding this program and what makes it so important is this: under typical immigration procedures, an undocumented person must LEAVE the country for a period of 10 years before being allowed to apply for any kind of immigration status.

Your applicant’s parents would need to leave them for 10 years. This is obviously not a feasible option for families. The PiP Program skips the waiting period, allowing your Soldier’s family to gain legal status without leaving. PiP is the fastest and most cost-effective way to gain legal status for undocumented immigrants.

What does the Parole in Place Process look like?

a. When the process is initiated, the sponsored family members gain immunity from deportation by government agencies. This grants them the safety net they need to continue. The approval time for PiP Status to be finalized is 6 to 9 months.

(Note: The family is protected from deportation during the whole PiP process. They need not worry if they will be deported before the final Parole approval.)

b. When Parole status is approved, the family members can now apply for a “Work Permit.” This will allow them to work legally for an employer.

c. When they have their “Work Permit,” they can apply for a Social Security Card and pursue a Driver’s License.

d. When the Soldier reaches the age of 21 or they have a sibling who is a citizen that is 21 or older, they may sponsor their family members for “Permanent Residency” to receive an “I551 (Green Card)”. This can take 10 to 17 months from the time PiP is initiated to the time they receive their Green Card or several years until the Soldier or a sibling reaches 21 years of age. The Green Card may be renewed indefinitely.

(Note: Many of the steps for this process and the paperwork involved are done in parallel to expedite things for the family when the approvals come through.)

e. The last step is not required but encouraged. When their Soldier or a sibling reaches the age of 21, they may sponsor their family members for Citizenship. This allows them to skip the 5-year waiting period for all Green Card holders.

*Note: It is important that the family pursues “Permanent Resident Status” while their Soldier is still serving under contract. PiP must be renewed every year until they gain their I551 (Green Card). 3-year contracts should be discouraged for applicants under 21 who do not have a 21-year-old sibling. The Soldier may ETS before the family is able to get their Green Card. If the family fails to get the immigration attorney what they need, or USCIS is delayed, they will not be able to renew PiP and will return to “Undocumented Status” if the Soldier is not currently under contract.