How does CBP One work? The application with which over 800,000 immigrants have legally entered the US

The CBP One app was officially launched on January 12, 2023, as a free tool for immigrants who are in Mexico to schedule an appointment and present themselves at one of the eight crossing points along the U.S.-Mexico border to seek a humanitarian permit that will allow them to enter the United States legally. Immigration authorities have clarified that this is an appointment scheduling tool, not a formal asylum application. The app is available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

In the first six months of its implementation, more than 170,000 people successfully scheduled an appointment. Immigrants from Haiti, Mexico, and Venezuela made the largest number of applications. The latest Customs and Border Protection figures indicate that in the 21 months the program has been in effect, about 800,000 migrants arrived legally in the United States.

Individuals who present themselves at the designated border crossing points (Brownsville, Eagle Pass, Hidalgo, Laredo, El Paso, Nogales, Calexico, and San Ysidro) are processed and, on a case-by-case basis, may be considered for a humanitarian waiver (parole) of up to two years to continue their immigration proceedings under Title 8 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. These immigrants are eligible to apply for an employment authorization document.

Authorities process about 1,450 appointments daily, but demand is much higher. “We understand that many people are desperate to migrate to our country, but our system must be orderly and secure,” Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris recently commented from Arizona. Mexican authorities are also offering bus transfers for those immigrants who need to get to their appointments, in an attempt to allow them to wait in safer areas. Previously, the appointment could only be requested at the border, but since August migrants in Chiapas and Tabasco can schedule their appointments without the need to travel to the north of the country.

How to apply for CBP One

After downloading the app, immigrants must complete the registration form listing all family members or travel companions with the same address in the United States. The applicant may then request an appointment. Each day at noon (U.S. Eastern Time), they are assigned to the group that made the appointment the previous day. Immigration authorities have stated that an unspecified percentage of those selected will come from the oldest registrants group.

The app will geolocate the application, so the applicant must be in central or northern Mexico. It is possible to try daily, and once notified, applicants must take a selfie to schedule the date and time of the appointment.

How long does the CBP One appointment take?

Since the program expanded the number of applications, authorities claim that more than two-thirds of people who used CBP One got an appointment in less than eight weeks, but migrants consulted by EL PAÍS claim they have waited up to nine months for an appointment. “They should not believe the smugglers’ lies. Those who do not use one of the many legal options we have created will be presumed ineligible for asylum and, if they do not have a basis for remaining (in the United States), will be subject to immediate removal, a minimum five-year bar on entry, and possible criminal prosecution for illegal re-entry,” the immigration authorities warn on their web page.

How long will CBP One be in effect?

The program is in place, but former president Donald Trump has already threatened to eliminate it if he wins the November election. “I would repeal them and kick them out. Besides, the app is bad,” he said in a telephone interview with FOX News. On the other hand, Harris has made the bipartisan agreement for border control that failed in Congress — which includes the elimination of CBP One — one of her campaign banners. However, some experts assure that this agreement will never become law so the program’s future is uncertain.

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