To apply for the Central American Minors Program (CAM), you must be a Qualifying Parent or Legal Guardian who is in the United States, over 18, and in a qualifying immigration category at the time your application is filed. Qualifying Parents must have at least one qualifying child who is a biological, step or legally adopted child, under 21, unmarried, and living in and a national of either El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. Qualifying Legal Guardians can apply for a qualifying child under 21, unmarried, and living in and a national of either El Salvador, Guatemala, or Honduras. The qualifying immigration categories for parents and legal guardians are:  

• Lawful permanent resident; 
• Temporary Protected Status; 
• Parole (for a minimum of one year); 
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) 
• Deferred action, non-DACA (for a minimum of one year); 
• Deferred enforced departure (DED); 
• Withholding of Removal; 
• Pending asylum application filed on or before April 11, 2023
• Pending U visa petition filed on or before April 11, 2023
• Pending T visa petition filed on or before April 11, 2023

To see the full eligibility criteria, please visit www.uscis.gov/CAM or www.menorescam.com. Certain family members can also apply for CAM along with your Qualifying Child.  

KIND can help you determine if you qualify to apply for the CAM program. Please submit a referral if you would like your case to be screened.  

CAM applications can only be submitted to the US government by a designated Resettlement Agency in the United States. The Resettlement Agencies are all non-profit organizations that work with the government on the CAM program. KIND is now supporting the Resettlement Agencies by preparing CAM applications. Parents and children cannot submit CAM applications to the government on their own, with lawyers or notarios, so you must contact KIND or a Resettlement Agency to start the application process.  

So how can you reach KIND for CAM assistance?   

1. Submit a referral directly to KIND at https://bit.ly/kindsolicitantesCAM. KIND will call you back to screen your case and can place your case with a case worker to start your application if you may be eligible for CAM.  

For KIND to screen your case for CAM, you will have to provide detailed information about yourself and your family members. Before contacting KIND, please be ready to provide the following information:  

• Your:  
  • Full name,  
  • Immigration category,  
  • Phone number,  
  • Address,  
  • Email address.  

• Your child or children’s:  
  • Date of birth,  
  • Phone number, and  
  • Country of origin. 

For information about how to contact KIND  for an eligibility screening and the information you will need to start a CAM application, please see “How Can I Start a CAM Application” above. If your family appears to qualify, KIND can help you prepare the CAM application form, . When the application is completed, KIND will send it back to a Resettlement Agency for review. The Resettlement Agency will then submit the application to the U.S. government.   

The government will assign you a case number and a local Resettlement Agency, and will send your case to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Resettlement Support Center in Central America. Once IOM receives your case, they will contact your child for a pre-screening interview, as well as any other family members who are applying with your child. It is essential that all family members who are applying attend that interview.   

After that, if DNA testing is required to confirm parent-child biological relationships, your assigned Resettlement Agency will notify you when you must take a DNA test along with the relevant instructions for initiating the DNA test. The government will pay for the DNA tests. IOM will then collect DNA from your family members.  The DNA test results will be sent to both you and the U.S. government.   

If the DNA test is positive, the government will then conduct a series of security checks.  Once cleared, the IOM will schedule a refugee interview with a USCIS officer.   

In this interview, the USCIS officer will ask your child and other family members about threats or persecution that they have experienced, or their fear of threats or persecution. Your child and certain other family members must all individually prove their refugee claims. Again, it is essential that all family members who are applying with your child attend the interview.   

After the interview, the USCIS officer will then determine if your family members are eligible for refugee status or if they will be considered for parole, or if they will be denied.  Refugee status claims are very complex, and it may take a long time for the USICS officer to make a decision about their cases.   

If your child and other family members are granted refugee status, the IOM will notify them of the decision. They will receive medical exams and undergo other background checks. At that point, the government will also confirm that your U.S. immigration category is still valid.   

When these steps are completed, your Resettlement Agency will provide your family with a cultural orientation prior to their travel. The RSC will then receive final travel clearances from the government, and will organize your family members’ travel to the U.S. Your Resettlement Agency will provide you with refugee reception and placement services for a period of three months.   

If your child and other family members are granted parole, parole will provide a temporary stay of up to 3 years in the United States. Those approved for parole can also apply for work authorization while they are in the U.S. If your child or family members are denied refugee status and considered for parole, you can request that the decision be reviewed and reconsidered for refugee status. 

No. There is no fee to submit the initial CAM application  for the CAM program, and no one is allowed to charge you money to complete the CAM application. If someone asks you for money for a CAM application, do not pay them or provide them with your information. You can report fraud to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) at fraudRSCLatinAmerica@iom.int.

Please remember, there is no charge to fill out the CAM application. HOWEVER, please be aware that there can be some costs to you if your case is approved with CAM parole towards the end of the process. If your case is approved for CAM Parole, you will have to cover the costs of your family’s medical exams and plane tickets. You will receive instructions about these costs from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which is the Resettlement Support Center in the CAM process, if your case is approved for parole.