Humanitarian parole is not intended to be used as a substitute for normal visa processing procedures and timelines or to bypass inadmissibility through other entry processing channels. Since humanitarian parole is not a legal status, a person who is in the U.S. on humanitarian parole will either need to reapply for another term of parole before their current term expires, select a different legal status for which to apply, or leave the U.S..

However, a person who is in the U.S. on humanitarian parole may apply for a change in legal status by filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.