Document Headings

                    Document headings vary by document type but may contain                    the following:                  
                -                       the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document                    
                -                       the number of the CFR title and the number of each part                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly                      related to                    
                -                       the agency docket number / agency internal file number                    
                -                       the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory                      Actions                    

                    See the                                          Document Drafting Handbook                                        for more details.                  

###### Department of Homeland Security

###### U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

          - [OMB Control Number 1615-0157]

# AGENCY:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.

# ACTION:

30-Day notice.

# SUMMARY:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

# DATES:

Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until March 29, 2024.

# ADDRESSES:

                        Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated response time, must be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at                         *http://www.regulations.gov*                         under e-Docket ID number USCIS-2023-0004. All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number 1615-0157 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID USCIS-2023-0004.                    

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

                        USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, telephone number (240) 721-3000 (This is not a toll-free number; comments are not accepted via telephone message.). Please note contact information provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not for individual case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check Case Status Online, available at the USCIS website at                         *http://www.uscis.gov,*                         or call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).                    

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

## Background 

                    This notice seeks comment on the USCIS Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, information collection package, which DHS uses in connection with certain parole processes. In January 2023, at DHS's request, the Office of Management and Budget approved this new collection in accordance with emergency procedures set forth at 5 CFR 1320.13. DHS uses this collection to implement processes through which nationals of certain countries and their immediate family members may request to come to the United States in a safe and orderly way. The collection is an outgrowth of Form I-134 (OMB Control Number 1615-0014), and has been used in connection with Uniting for Ukraine; the parole processes for certain Cubans,[1]                                          Haitians,                    [2]       ( print page 14675)                        Nicaraguans,[3]                                          and Venezuelans; [4]                                          family reunification parole processes for certain Colombians,[5]                                          Salvadorans,[6]                                          Guatemalans,[7]                                          Hondurans,[8]                                          and Ecuadorians; [9]                                          and procedural changes to the previously established Cuban [10]                                          and Haitian [11]                                          Family Reunification Parole processes. The emergency processing activities associated with implementing these parole processes were necessary for multiple reasons, including to address the urgent humanitarian events transpiring in Ukraine, to prevent complications for the United States' ongoing efforts to engage hemispheric partners to increase their efforts to collaboratively manage and reduce irregular migration that could have arisen without timely action by the United States, and to avoid incentivizing irregular migration during a public comment period.                

Under these processes, certain beneficiaries who are outside the United States and lack U.S. entry documents may be considered, on a case-by-case basis, for advance authorization to travel and a temporary period of parole for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. To participate, eligible beneficiaries must:
    - Have a confirmed supporter in the United States;
    - Undergo and clear robust security vetting;
    - Demonstrate that a grant of parole is warranted based on urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit;
    - Meet other eligibility criteria; and
    - Demonstrate that they warrant a favorable exercise of discretion.

Beneficiaries participating in these processes must have a supporter in the United States who agrees to provide them with financial support for the duration of their parole in the United States. Potential supporters file a Form I-134A for each potential beneficiary, including, if applicable, immediate family members of the principal beneficiary, with USCIS through the USCIS online web portal to initiate the parole process. Form I-134A identifies and collects information on both the supporter and the beneficiary. The potential supporter must submit evidence establishing their income and assets and commit to provide financial support to the beneficiary for the duration of parole. A potential supporter filing Form I-134A under a family reunification parole process is also required to submit evidence establishing the family relationships between the principal beneficiary and all derivative beneficiaries. No fee is required to file Form I-134A.

USCIS will perform background checks on the potential supporter and verify their financial information to ensure that the potential supporter is able to financially support the beneficiary. If the potential supporter's Form I-134A is confirmed, the beneficiary named in the Form I-134A will receive an email from USCIS with instructions to create a USCIS online account and next steps for completing the request. See Advance Travel Authorization (ATA) (OMB Control Number 1651-0143) for the approved collection of information for the next steps in relevant parole processes.

## Comments

                    The information collection notice was previously published in the                     **Federal Register**                     on September 12, 2023, at 88 FR 175, allowing for a 60-day public comment period. USCIS did receive two comments in connection with the 60-day notice.                

                    You may access the information collection instrument with instructions, or additional information by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal site at:                     *http://www.regulations.gov*                     and enter USCIS-2023-0004 in the search box. Comments must be submitted in English, or an English translation must be provided. The comments submitted to USCIS via this method are visible to the Office of Management and Budget and comply with the requirements of 5 CFR 1320.12(c). All submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at                     *http://www.regulations.gov,*                     and will include any personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that you provide in any voluntary submission you make to DHS. DHS may withhold information provided in comments from public viewing that it determines may impact the privacy of an individual or is offensive. For additional information, please read the Privacy Act notice that is available via the link in the footer of                     *http://www.regulations.gov.*

Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following four points:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

                    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology,                     *e.g.,*                     permitting electronic submission of responses.                

## Overview of This Information Collection 

                    (1)                     *Type of Information Collection Request:*                     Revision of a Currently Approved Collection.                

                    (2)                     *Title of the Form/Collection:*                     Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support.                

                    (3)                     *Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the DHS sponsoring the collection:*                     I-134A; USCIS.                

                    (4)                     *Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary:*                     Individuals or households. USCIS uses Form I-134A to determine whether a U.S.-based individual has sufficient financial resources and access to those funds to support the beneficiary named on the Form I-134A for the duration of their temporary stay in the United States, as well as to obtain information concerning whether the beneficiary merits a favorable exercise of discretion under the statutory parole standard.                

Form I-134A is filed by a U.S.-based individual (the potential supporter) to request to be a supporter, agree to provide financial support to the beneficiary named on the form during the beneficiary's period of stay in the United States, and to provide information concerning why the beneficiary warrants a discretionary grant of parole.

                    (5)                     *An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond:*                     The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection I-134A is 1,205,600 and the estimated hour burden per response is 2.11 hours.                          ( print page 14676)    

                    (6)                     *An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection:*                     The total estimated annual hour burden associated with this collection is $2,543,816 hours.                

                    (7)                     *An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated with the collection:*                     The estimated total annual cost burden associated with this collection of information is $0.00.                

Dated: February 22, 2024.

Samantha L. Deshommes,

Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.

# Footnotes

1.                             88 FR 1266 (Jan. 9, 2023);                         *see also*88 FR 26329 (Apr. 28, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

2.                             88 FR 1243 (Jan. 9, 2023);                         *see also*26 FR 327 (Apr. 28, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

3.                             88 FR 1255 (Jan. 9, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

4.                             87 FR 63507 (Oct. 19, 2022);                         *see also*88 FR 1279 (Jan. 9, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

5.                             88 FR 43591 (July 10, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

6.                             88 FR 43611 (July 10, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

7.                             88 FR 43581 (July 10, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

8.                             88 FR 43601 (July 10, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

9.                             88 FR 78762 (Nov. 16, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

10.                             88 FR 54639 (Aug. 11, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

11.                             88 FR 54635 (Aug. 11, 2023).                    
        Back to Citation      

[FR Doc. 2024-04114 Filed 2-27-24; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 9111-97-P