A new federal immigration initiative allows certain children from violence-torn Central American countries to reunite with their parents, even though the adults may not have legal status in the United States. The first beneficiaries of the effort have begun arriving in the country.

The "Central American Minors Refugee/Parole Program" (CAM) lets unmarried individuals under the age of 21 make the trip from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to the U.S., where they can then join their families, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) explained. The new arrivals may then be able to file for refugee status, which, if granted, comes with an an immediate work permit.

Ruben Chandrasekar, the executive director for the Baltimore office of the International Rescue Committee, told the Associated Press that due to the complex bureaucracy surrounding the needed applications, even eligible children are not able to flee the often dangerous circumstances in their homelands immediately.

"This is not an immediate solution for kids who are facing a credible fear of persecution," said Chandrasekar, whose organization is submitting hundreds of requests on behalf of parents desperate to bring their children to the U.S.

The head of the resettlement agency also criticized that CAM is not open to those Central American nationals who are legal permanent residents. "What we would like to see, we'd like the State Department to strengthen the program so that parents living here with status can apply for their children as quickly as possible," Chandrasekar demanded.

For those who have been able to reunite with their family members, however, the program has already turned out to be a blessing, the AP noted.

"On many occasions, I'd tell my husband I wanted to go back," said Virginia de la Paz Marquez, an undocumented immigrant who this week welcomed her 19-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter to the U.S.

"I told him it's not fair that I'm not experiencing what they're experiencing. But he kept saying be patient, be patient, there will be an opportunity for us. When we heard about the program I had faith, we believed something would happen, and now it is," the Salvadoran native added.