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How to apply for a place in the new US immigration program for Venezuelans, how long to stay and other important questions

How to apply for a place in the new US immigration program for Venezuelans, how long to stay and other important questions

(CNN Spanish) — The United States presents the details of its plan Allow Venezuelans legal entry into its territory Through a program like the one he created to address the plight of Ukrainians who fled their country to escape the war. Here, eight key questions are answered.

The Joe Biden administration outlined two major changes in its policies regarding Venezuelans traveling north. On the one hand, Blas Núñez-Neto, acting undersecretary for border and immigration policy at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), concluded that “irregular entrants will be immediately returned to Mexico.” Journalists. its summary in English).

In return, it would implement a process to allow entry for “those who are willing to wait and apply to come to the United States legally.” The details of this process are becoming known day by day, although there are still unanswered questions.

1. How should requests be made?

As DHS moves forward, a Venezuelan must have the support of a person or organization in the country that has the financial means to support them to apply for legal entry through this new program.

For this reason, the first thing US officials do is to ensure that sponsors who agree to support Venezuelans who wish to travel to the United States actually have the financial capacity to do so.

Once this is confirmed, the beneficiary has to make his/her own application, in which personal data and photograph are added. From there, the review process begins with national security and public safety databases and health to define travel authorizations.

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There is no cost to the sponsor or the beneficiary for the application process, but the person sponsoring the visit of the Venezuelan citizen must “prove that he has the financial means to support and sustain the beneficiary during his stay in the United States,” Nuñez-Neto clarified.

The process will be done completely online and if your application is approved, the beneficiary will have to enter by air.

2. What not to do if you want to apply for the program?

After the United States’ announcement on October 12, Venezuelans who entered Panama or Mexico irregularly will not be able to apply for the program, so if you want to apply for the program and haven’t crossed into one of those countries, don’t do it.

3. What happens if you stay in Mexico for a long time?

If you arrived in Mexico before the announcement of the program, you can apply wherever you are. The process is completely realitySo you don’t need to go to a particular city or try to get close to the border.

4. How long will the process take?

Referring to the plan aimed at Ukrainians, the process will be “very fast.” In that case, according to the Chief Minister, there are applications that are resolved within a week. He also said that work authorization can come legally “immediately upon entering the United States.”

5. How long can I legally stay in the US?

The program provides that accepted Venezuelan nationals may work legally in the United States for two years.

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6. What happens if the 24,000 seats are exhausted?

The plan initially foresees 24,000 places, which may be considered a few if the figures provided by DHS on Venezuelan migration are taken into account. In the recently concluded fiscal year from October 2021 to October 2022, there were more than 180,000 encounters between Venezuelans and agents at the border, representing a nearly fourfold increase.

Núñez-Neto explained that the process will be closely monitored to determine its effectiveness and if it has the expected effect, there will be a process to “increase and expand” the program. However, he did not provide specific figures or dates.

7. What about the Title 42 exemptions process?

Title 42, a regulation created in 1944 and implemented under Donald Trump’s administration to expedite the removal of immigrants at land borders, will remain in effect for the time being and pending a judicial decision. That authority, public health, “takes precedence” over immigration officials, the DHS chief explained.

There will also be the possibility of applying for a Title 42 exemption for people in vulnerable situations who have already been operating at the border for months.

8. What happens if you are deported to Mexico?

The US president insisted that questions regarding the situation of Venezuelans in Mexican territory should be directed to the Mexican authorities. However, he said State Department officials are in close contact with international organizations to establish shelters and other facilities that can receive Venezuelans.

One of the international bridges on the border between Tamaulipas, Mexico and the US state of Texas was closed on Friday as part of a protest by dozens of Venezuelan migrants who were deported to Mexico on Thursday and said they had been removed from the country. ., one of them told a CNN crew in the area.

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With information from CNN’s Fidel Gutierrez.