May 25, 2023

New Filing Tips to Avoid Form I-134A Delays

Dear Stakeholder,

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently sent out tips for filing Form I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, associated with Uniting for Ukraine and the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans. Some key tips for avoiding delays are:

1. Use the new Form I-134A, not Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support.

• However, if you filed Form I-134 before January 6, 2023, USCIS will continue to process your Form I-134 and you do not need to file a new form.

2. File one Form I-134A per beneficiary, including children under 18 years old.

• Do not file multiple forms for the same beneficiary.
• Do not file a second or duplicate Form I-134A for a beneficiary if you have already filed Form I-134A and it is still pending.
• If USCIS has issued a decision, the agency will accept a new filing of Form I-134A.

3. Check your Form I-134A for typos and errors before submitting.

• Common mistakes that USCIS sees include:
  • Misspelling the beneficiary’s name
  • Incorrect dates of birth
  • Incorrect passport numbers
  • Incorrect email addresses (if the beneficiary’s email address is incorrect, they will not receive the email with instructions to complete the next steps to be considered for parole)
• If you are the beneficiary, check that all the information your supporter entered about you is correct before submitting your biographical information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

4. Use your USCIS online account to:

• Check your case status. You can also use USCIS’ Case Status Online.
• Fix any mistakes on your submitted Form I-134A. Submit a secure message through your account to let USCIS know about any errors. Do not call the USCIS Contact Center unless you cannot correct the mistake through your online account. For more information, go to:
  • The “Contacting USCIS About Form I-134A” section of USCIS’ Frequently Asked Questions About Uniting for Ukraine page, or
  • The “Correcting a Submitted Form I-134A” section of USCIS’ Frequently Asked Questions About the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans

Why This Matters

In the past few months, we have received a significant number of case assistance requests related to Form I-134A and heard from stakeholders seeking clarification on processing times for this form. We have raised these issues with USCIS and are reviewing the impact of USCIS’ growing humanitarian mission on its operations. These USCIS filing tips are part of the agency’s effort to help you avoid processing delays.

More Information

You can find more information on USCIS’ Uniting for Ukraineand Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans pages.

The CIS Ombudsman is dedicated to assisting individuals and employers seeking to resolve problems with USCIS. For more information on our office, please visit dhs.gov/cisombudsman or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Please complete the CIS Ombudsman Customer Satisfaction Survey. We appreciate your feedback.

Resources

• Public Engagement
• Case Assistance
• Annual Report
• FAQs
• Immigration Resources

You are subscribed to updates from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman). 

Manage Subscriptions  |  Privacy Policy  |  Help