Undocumented students at Long Beach State can apply to study abroad through advance parole, allowing them to study and possibly reconnect with loved ones in their home countries.
The Dream Success Center (DSC) has partnered with the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) to help Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students visit relatives and countries outside the United States. Additionally, the partnership helps faculty, staff and students’ immediate relatives.
Last year, students at the Beach went to Guatemala. This year, the DSC hopes to expand its travels to El Salvador to unite more students with their remote relatives.
DACA recipients can use advance parole to temporarily leave the United States for a specific purpose and be granted parole upon return.
There are two steps for students to apply for advance parole: first, submit the application packet with a $575 filing fee and required evidence. Then, if approved, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will issue the recipient Form I-512L.
The traveler must leave and return to the U.S. within the designated time frame. An immigration inspection is undergone upon re-entry and a secondary inspection will follow up.
Advanced parole can be requested for three purposes: a humanitarian reason, such as to attend the funeral of a relative, an employment reason, including work assignments or conferences or an educational reason to study abroad or conduct academic research.
According to CARECEN College Legal Services Staff Attorney Anna Raygoza, students must submit proof of their college admission to request advance parole for educational purposes.
A regular advance parole application will be processed in four to six months. An expedited application will take six weeks, while an emergency application can process between one to three weeks.
Students can travel on advance parole even if they have been deported before. Raygoza said many of her clients have participated in this type of parole.
Fourth-year student Brianda Sicairos Ayon said she is concerned that a potential election of former U.S. President Donald Trump could lead to fewer benefits and resources for undocumented immigrants.
“I’m hoping to get through my advance parole process before [Donald Trump] potentially retakes office,” Ayon said. “I know he’ll get rid of all we have access to.”
Ayon is graduating this spring and wonders if her humanitarian appeal to leave the country will be sufficient. Ayon hopes to visit her ailing grandmother in Sinaloa, Mexico.
CARECEN provides free immigration legal consultations and services to college students in the greater Los Angeles area.
Serving eight of the California State University colleges, the community-based organization supplies family-based petitions, naturalization and citizenship certificates, special immigrant juvenile status, Violence Against Women Acts and U visas.
U visas are non-immigrant visas for mental or physical abuse victims who are willing to assist law enforcement in criminal prosecution.
Students can book an appointment with CARECEN on its website.