A. The sponsor’s liability is limited to the type and amount of sponsorship that s/he has pledged to offer to the applicant. That contract is entered into with the United States, with the purpose of obtaining parole for the sponsored applicant, and not with the sponsored applicant, therefore the applicant does not have a standing to challenge this contract in court.

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The United States technically has standing to sue the sponsor for the amount that was paid to the applicant by the United States, which should have been paid by the sponsor based on what the sponsor promised to pay. These claims never happen.

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The purpose of an I-134 form is to help make sure a sponsor understands specifically what he or she is agreeing to do to help the refugee so that the refugee is unlikely to become a public charge and need help from the government. It is designed to help the government decide whether or not to grant humanitarian parole. It should be taken seriously, and completed thoroughly, however, unlike other similar forms, again, the I-134 is non-legally binding.

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If someone is not comfortable with stating something specifically, for example, they don’t want to agree to pay for the refugee’s medical coverage, they are free to do so.  Ideally, the sponsor should state what they are willing to do instead, for example: “I commit to assisting them in filing for the medical help for which they are eligible.” What assistance someone would qualify for varies state by state, and by employer should the parolee get a job with health insurance. In short, assistance available varies.

The United States technically has standing to sue the sponsor for the amount that was paid to the applicant by the United States, which should have been paid by the sponsor based on what the sponsor promised to pay. These claims never happen.

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The I-134 is non-legally binding. Instead, it is used by the government to give them an idea of whether a sponsor has the means to help support a refugee and whether that person is likely to become a public charge. It has also been held unenforceable in some states. The risk is not zero since administrations, and policies can change, but the practical risk is relatively low. Again, however, sponsors should commit to something that makes them uncomfortable.