LEGAL RESOURCES ON U.S. IMMIGRATION TOPICS FOR UKRAINIANS FLEEING THE WAR.

On Monday, January 27, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would stop accepting new applications for the Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) program pending the Trump Administration’s review of all humanitarian parole programs. This means that no new sponsor applications (Form I-134a) for Ukrainians will be processed until further notice, and no new travel authorizations will be issued to Ukrainian beneficiaries. For now, those who already arrived on Uniting for Ukraine may remain in the U.S. for as long as their parole period is valid.

All people who are living in the United States have certain rights that are given to them by the U.S. Constitution. This includes citizens, lawful permanent residents, those who are here on a visa, those with humanitarian parole, other immigrants, and those who are undocumented. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has authority to investigate, apprehend, arrest, detain, and remove noncitizens who are within the United States unlawfully or who have committed acts that make them deportable. If you or someone you know are approached by ICE, know your rights at work, at home, and in public places.

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Ukraine for 18 months, through October 19, 2026, due to the ongoing war and extraordinary conditions in Ukraine that prevent individuals from safely returning. Ukrainian nationals (and individuals without nationality who last resided in Ukraine) are eligible to re-register for TPS if they arrived on or before August 16, 2023 and have been continuously residing in the United States since that date — with or without lawful immigration status.

Following new laws passed by the Ukrainian government, male U.S. citizens ages 18-60 with Ukrainian nationality may be subject to military registration requirements and restricted travel out of Ukraine. In addition, Ukrainian males in the U.S. can no longer receive Ukrainian passport renewals or other consular services without Ukrainian military documents. Learn more about U.S. and Ukrainian citizenship laws, rights and obligations of dual citizens, and travel advisories for U.S. citizens in Ukraine.

On February 27, 2024, USCIS announced that certain Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who were paroled into the United States can now apply to USCIS for re-parole. Learn more about who is eligible, when to apply, what documents are required, procedures for adults and minors, how to renew employment authorization, and other important details.

Many Ukrainians who arrived in the U.S. since Feb. 2022 qualify for both TPS and humanitarian parole/re-parole. Although individuals can hold both of these statuses at the same time, there are some key differences. Learn more about the the eligibility criteria, application procedures, periods of protection, access to benefits, advantages and disadvantages of TPS vs. humanitarian parole for Ukrainians in our article here.

Ukrainians who are in the United States on humanitarian parole and/or TPS and wish to travel outside of the U.S. must first apply to USCIS for a travel document. Although the process is the same for most Ukrainians applying for an advance travel document, the type of travel document issued and how long it’s valid depends on the applicant’s status. There could be some advantages to traveling with certain types of documents.

Many Ukrainians who entered the United States through the Uniting for Ukraine program are wondering how they might be able to remain in the United States after their humanitarian parole expires. Here are some potential options that could allow certain Ukrainians on humanitarian parole to remain in the United States after their Uniting for Ukraine stay ends.

Individuals seeking political asylum in the United States must file an Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal within one year of their arrival to the United States, though there are a few limited exceptions to the one-year filing deadline. In addition to the one-year filing deadline, there could be other bars to asylum such as firm resettlement in another country or criminal history. A person may apply for asylum in the United States regardless of their country of origin or their current immigration status. In order to apply for asylum protection, applicants must show….