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I am in the United States now with CAM parole status or my status ended

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UPDATES ON CURRENT STATUS OF CAM PROGRAM

The Central American Minors (CAM) Refugee & Parole Program

In January 2025, President Trump issued an order indefinitely pausing the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The CAM Program is part of USRAP, so it was also paused by this order. This means all new and pending applications, interviews, decisions, and travel were paused because of this order and that it is not possible to re-open any past cases. In addition, the government paused some funding to organizations in the United States that provided assistance and services to people who entered through the CAM Program.

IRAP is suing the U.S. government over this pause. Because of IRAP’s lawsuit, CAM refugee cases that were conditionally approved by January 20, 2025 should continue processing including travel to the United States. You can find the latest updates for how this lawsuit is affecting cases here.

CAM Re-Parole

The government has not officially announced any specific changes to re-parole applications for CAM parolees. At this time, the government is still accepting and deciding CAM re-parole applications on a case-by-case basis. However, instead of deciding re-parole applications based on special CAM criteria, the government considers re-parole applications under a broader standard of “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.” This is a difficult standard to overcome and reports indicate that CAM re-parole applications are unlikely to be successful at this time. In addition, the government has tried to end many other parole programs, and they could try to end CAM parole and re-parole at any time. If you are in the United States and denied re-parole, you could be put in removal proceedings unless you have received some other legal way to stay in the United States. 

If your CAM parole is expiring soon or has already expired, you should talk to a licensed, qualified attorney as soon as possible. You can find a list of free or low-cost attorneys here and a list of private attorneys here.  

CAM Hotline

Due to changes in U.S. policies, the CAM Hotline operated by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is indefinitely out of service as of February 12, 2025. If you contacted the CAM Hotline and did not receive a callback before this date, unfortunately, no one will return your call.

Organizers of the former CAM Hotline independently created a CAM resource website, which provides relevant immigration policy updates and other helpful resources for CAM families.

This article was last updated on July 17, 2026. 

Summary

Individuals who come to the United States on CAM parole status have permission to stay for a temporary period of time, generally for two or three years. This guide provides information on support and options available to CAM parolees who are in the United States.

How long can I stay in the United States on CAM parole status?

CAM parole status lasts for a specific period of time. You can check when the status ends by looking at the stamp that the officer put in your passport at the airport or by getting an electronic copy of your Form I-94 here (click the tab, “Get Most Recent I-94/I-95”).

As a CAM parolee, you are not a “refugee.” This means your current parole status does not give you a path to permanent status, nor will you automatically get a green card or work authorization card with this status. 

What can I do if I want to stay in the United States for longer?

When you arrive in the United States with parole, you should find a licensed, qualified attorney as soon as possible to ask about your options for applying for a more permanent status. There may be deadlines for applying for certain statuses like asylum. You can find a list of free or low-cost attorneys here and a list of private attorneys here.  

If you have questions about other immigration pathways, you can also check our legal information website here.

You can also apply to renew your CAM parole status, even if your parole has already expired. This is called re-parole. See below.

How can I apply for CAM re-parole?

If your CAM parole is expiring soon or has already expired, you should talk to a licensed, qualified attorney as soon as possible. You can find a list of free or low-cost attorneys here and a list of private attorneys here. Without status, you could be put in removal proceedings. A local immigration attorney can help to see if you have other legal options to stay in the United States.

You may also try to apply for CAM re-parole. However, reports indicate that CAM re-parole applications are unlikely to be successful at this time. This is because instead of deciding re-parole applications based on special CAM criteria as they did in the past, the government now considers re-parole applications under a broader standard of “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.” This is a difficult standard to overcome. If you are in the United States and denied re-parole, you could be put in removal proceedings unless you have received some other legal way to stay in the United States.

Applying for CAM re-parole means that you are asking the government to issue you a new parole period. The United States government has instructions on how to ask for CAM re-parole here (click the tab, “Application for Renewal of Temporary Residence Permit (Re-Parole)”). Typically, the government is granting new parole periods that begin at the expiration date of your last parole period and that end three years into the future.

If you traveled to the United States through the CAM program with additional family members and you all were granted parole, every individual person, even babies, must file their own re-parole application that is complete on its own. You can mail these re-parole applications in the same envelope, but each individual seeking to extend their parole status has to file their own application. 

Because of current government application processing delays, you should try to apply for re-parole approximately one year before your CAM parole status ends.

You can file your CAM re-parole application online, or by mail. The online filing process is more streamlined, and it also involves lower filing fees. However, if you are unable to afford the filing fees altogether and wish to submit a “fee waiver,” you will need to submit a paper application by mail.

I have more questions about accessing benefits in the United States

To find out what benefits and support are available in your local area, you may check the following websites: 

Here are community resources for CAM parolees in several regions of the United States. These guides are in English and were last updated in 2020.

The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) provides free legal help to some refugees and displaced people.

IRAP decides to help people based on their need and eligibility for immigration status. IRAP does not decide to help people based on any other social, political, or religious criteria.

This website provides general information about legal processes available to some refugees. It is not meant as legal advice for individual applications.

Requirements may change. Always check for current requirements from the government or agency deciding your request.

If you are in a refugee emergency, we recommend that you contact the UNHCR office in the country where you live.