United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Begins Application Rollout of Program Benefitting Filipino World War II Veterans

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun accepting applications for a program to reunite family members of Filipino World War II veterans.

Through the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program, USCIS will allow certain Filipino World War II veteran family members who are beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions to come to the United States on a case-by-case basis, while they wait for their immigrant visa.

This morning, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Senator Mazie Hirono, and Senator Tim Kaine led a press conference touting the start of this program. They were joined by NCAPA National Director Christopher Kang, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC Director of Strategic Initiatives Marita Etcubañez, and Filipino veterans.

NCAPA and its member organizations have been active on this issue, submitting recommendations to USCIS and welcoming the announcement of the program last month.

“We are pleased that this program will aid Filipino World War II veterans who fought with great bravery and courage for our country and who have sacrificed even further by waiting more than 20 years to be reunited with their families,” said NCAPA National Director Christopher Kang. “We urge Congress to take a further step to honor these veterans and their service by passing Senator Hirono’s legislation to award them a Congressional Gold Medal.”

As NCAPA and other advocates push Congress to honor our Filipino World War II veterans with a Congressional Gold Medal, the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project created a PSA to raise awareness this effort.

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 35 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.