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OMB Control No: 0970-0278	ICR Reference No: 202611-0970-003
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202609-0970-007
Agency/Subagency: HHS/ACF	Agency Tracking No: ORR-UACB
Title: Unaccompanied Alien Children Sponsor Application Packet
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Emergency	Approval Requested By: 11/06/2026
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 11/06/2026
	Date Received in OIRA: 11/05/2026
Terms of Clearance: The collection is approved pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.13.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	04/30/2027	6 Months From Approved	02/28/2029
Responses	697,301	0	697,301
Time Burden (Hours)	608,319	0	608,319
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

Abstract: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) requests emergency review and approval of this information collection by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as authorized under 5 CFR 1320.13. The proposed revisions to the Authorization for Release of Information (Form SAP-2) and Sponsor Application (Form SAP-3) align the PDF and digital sponsor applications used by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Under the October 30, 2026, court order in Angelica S. v. HHS, ORR must make the OMB-approved PDF application available as the exclusive sponsorship application if OMB has not approved the online application by November 30, 2026. The information collected is essential to the mission of the agency. Children’s safety and well-being are central to the sponsorship process. ORR must obtain sufficient information to evaluate prospective sponsors, assess household conditions, identify potential safety concerns, and support safe and timely placement decisions. The revised forms organize this information and related conditional follow-up questions to support consistent collection and review throughout the sponsorship process. The use of normal PRA clearance procedures is reasonably likely to delay approval beyond November 30, 2026, and disrupt information collection by requiring ORR to transition to exclusive use of the approved PDF application. This transition will likely substantially increase manual processing of sponsor applications by Federal staff, draw out the sponsorship process by requiring Federal staff to read out and have sponsors respond to lengthy interviews through Sponsor Assessment questions, increase records management burden, and could compromise the security of significant sensitive information of sponsors, their households, and unaccompanied alien children. Operationally, such a transition would result in a significant delay for sponsor assessments and release and unification of unaccompanied alien children with their vetted family member. ACF therefore requests emergency approval by November 3, 2026, to support continued use of the online application, avoid processing delays, and maintain essential safeguards for children throughout the sponsorship and release process.

Emergency Justfication: ACF requests OMB’s emergency review and approval of the digital sponsor application and corresponding revisions to the Authorization for Release of Information (Form SAP-2) and Sponsor Application (Form SAP-3), under OMB Control No. 0970-0278, as authorized under 5 CFR 1320.13. ACF requests approval as soon as possible and before November 30 to avoid substantial disruption to ORR’s sponsor intake and assessment process while meeting the court’s minute order in Angelica S. v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Case No. 1:25-cv-01405). On October 30, 2026, the court ordered that, if the online sponsorship application is not approved by OMB by November 30, 2026, the OMB-approved PDF version must be made available as the exclusive sponsorship application. Emergency approval would permit ORR to maintain its current online intake process while implementing aligned, OMB-approved digital and PDF instruments. This information collection is essential to ACF’s and ORR’s responsibilities to protect the care, safety, and well-being of unaccompanied alien children and support their safe placement with suitable sponsors. Given the court’s November 30, 2026, requirement, the use of normal clearance procedures under the Paperwork Reduction Act is reasonably likely to necessitate a transition to universal PDF intake, increasing government costs for manual processing, document handling, and records management. Diverting staff from substantive sponsor assessments would necessarily delay safe placement decisions, prolong the time unaccompanied alien children remain in ORR custody in congregate care settings, and increase federal expenditures for their continued care. Prolonged stays in Federal custody and congregate care settings present significant child welfare concerns and litigation risk for ORR. Requiring universal PDF intake would substantially change ORR’s current operations, increase handling of sensitive personal information outside the secure application system, and expand manual processing and records management work beyond available staffing resources. Essential to Mission This collection is essential to the agency’s mission (as described in 5 CFR 1320.13(a)(1)(ii)) because Forms SAP-2 and SAP-3 are necessary for ACF and ORR to carry out their responsibilities for the care, safety, and well-being of children. These forms collect and document information ORR needs to assess prospective sponsors and determine whether a child can be safely released from federal custody. They support required sponsor suitability assessments while helping ORR avoid unnecessary delays in placing children with suitable sponsors. The forms enable ORR to carry out its responsibilities under the Homeland Security Act, 6 U.S.C. Section 279, which assigns ORR responsibility for the care and placement of unaccompanied alien children and requires consideration of children’s interests in decisions concerning their care and custody.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 8 USC 1232 Name of Law: William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA)
   PL: Pub.L. 119 - 21 87001(b)(1) Name of Law: One Big Beautiful Bill Act
   PL: Pub.L. 113 - 4 1101(c) Name of Law: Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013
   US Code: 6 USC 279 Name of Law: Homeland Security Act

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	91 FR 69851	11/05/2026
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 8

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Affidavit of Financial Support (SAP-8)	SAP-8, SAP-8 (Spanish)	,
Authorization for Release of Information (Form SAP-2)	SAP-2, SAP-2, SAP-2 Screenshots	, ,
DNA Testing Instructions (Form SAP-10)
Fingerprinting Instructions (Form SAP-5) - Initial Fingerprinting	SAP-5 (Spanish), SAP-5	,
Fingerprinting Instructions (Form SAP-5) - Mobile Fingerprinting	SAP-5, SAP-5 (Spanish)	,
Letter of Designation for Care of Child (Form SAP-6)	SAP-6 (Spanish), Form SAP-6	,
Sponsor Application (Form SAP-3)	SAP-3, SAP-3, SAP-3 Sponsor Application Screenshots	, ,
Sponsor Application for Ms. L Separation Cases (Form SAP-9)	SAP- 9, SAP-9 (Spanish)	,

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved
Annual Number of Responses	697,301	697,301
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	608,319	608,319
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement:

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $3,815,622

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? No

Agency Contact: Anayma De Frias 415 637-4513 anayma.defrias@acf.hhs.gov

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