The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that certain Ukrainian nationals and immediate family members who were paroled into the United States last year for urgent humanitarian reasons will be allowed to extend their parole.

DHS has determined that there remain urgent humanitarian reasons, as well as a significant public benefit, for extending the parole of certain Ukrainians who arrived prior to Uniting for Ukraine. DHS will consider Ukrainian nationals and immediate family members who were paroled, on a case-by-case basis, before Uniting for Ukraine for an extension of the parole period and employment authorization, if applicable.

Specifically, individuals paroled into the United States at a port of entry between February 24, 2022 and April 25, 2022 will be considered for an extension. DHS is in the process of considering these individuals, on a case-by-case basis, for a one-year extension of their period of parole to align with the two-year parole period provided under Uniting for Ukraine. DHS estimates it will take approximately 4 weeks to consider and vet all the individuals in the group and will review cases based on the date of parole.

If an individual’s parole period is extended, DHS will proactively make available online an updated Form I-94 with the extended parole period. The period of parole will be extended from the current expiration date without a gap. Individuals can retrieve and download an updated Form I-94 as evidence of their extended parole period by visiting CBP’s Form I-94 website.

Those who have their period of parole extended will also be eligible to receive employment authorization for the additional year. Individuals who have Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) based on their parole and whose parole period is extended for an additional year will receive a Form I-797C from USCIS that can be used to demonstrate continued employment authorization through the extended parole period.  The Form I-797C will be mailed to the address on file with USCIS.  

Individuals who need to change their address may do so online through their existing USCIS online account or using the Form AR-11, Alien’s Change of Address Card, online using the Change of Address page.

  • If you are part of this group but do not see an updated Form I-94 online by early April, please submit an inquiry to Ask Us a Question (cbp.gov).
  • If you are part of this group and hold a valid EAD based on your parole but do not receive Form I-797C by the end of April, please reach out to [email protected].
  • If you do not currently have an EAD but would like to apply for one based on your parole, you may file a Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, with USCIS. Ukrainian parolees are exempt from fees for first time applicants.

Ukrainian parolees may pursue multiple immigration pathways at the same time and this process does not impact other benefit requests including those who have applied for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), been granted TPS, or applied for asylum. However, parole will terminate automatically upon departure from the United States. Individuals with parole who plan to depart the United States and wish to return must first apply for advance parole in order to be considered for reentry into the United States.

For more information, see https://www.dhs.gov/ukraine.