Uniting for Ukraine

On the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced legislation that would offer Ukrainians who recently arrived in the United States a temporary safety net to allow them to stay here while conditions in Ukraine remain dangerous. The "Protecting our Guests During Hostilities in Ukraine Act" proposes to grant U4U parolees a "temporary Ukrainian guest status" as of the date they were initially paroled into the United States. The bill also proposes to grant automatic employment authorization to parolees who are granted temporary Ukrainian guest status under this legislation. Read more

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has suspended the processing of all immigration applications filed by individuals who entered on parole programs, including Ukrainians who entered on U4U. This affects applications filed by parolees for asylum, TPS, EADs, advance parole travel, adjustment of status, naturalization, and others. While USCIS officers may continue to work on cases already filed, they are not allowed to issue any decisions while the administrative pause is in effect. Parolees who planned to apply or recently applied for another lawful status through USCIS will not be able to obtain any approvals for the foreseeable future. Read more

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. Read more

The Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act has been signed into law. In addition to sending critical aid to Ukraine, this legislation also provides humanitarian assistance, including renewed funding for Ukrainian refugees in the United States. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has been authorized to resume providing resettlement assistance to Ukrainians paroled between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024. Learn more about these resettlement benefits in our article here. Read more

Our Ukraine Immigration Task Force has partnered with volunteers from Nova Ukraine to publish a comprehensive guide on "Applying for Low Cost Health Insurance in the United States." This guide provides an overview of the health insurance options for noncitizens and shows step-by-step instructions for applying for state and marketplace plans. It also explains eligibility categories based on income and family status, highlights ways to save money, and summarizes the differences between types of health and dental coverage. Read more

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. Read more

Learn about our current immigration advocacy goals for Ukrainians and help us spread the word! Read more

With no renewed funding from Congress, resettlement staff across the country have been forced to turn Ukrainians away. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants published a compelling op-ed today that explains how newly arriving Ukrainians seeking refuge in the United States find themselves at risk of homelessness, hunger, trafficking, and serious health risks due to being cut off from critical assistance and services. Learn more about this issue and why it threatens not only the safety of vulnerable Ukrainians but the future of the Uniting for Ukraine program. Read more

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. Read more

The Ukraine Immigration Task Force was quoted in today's Policy & Advocacy Report from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). The policy brief highlights some of the financial and safety challenges for newly arriving Ukrainians paroled after September 30, 2023 who are not eligible for federal mainstream benefits, Medicaid coverage, or ORR funded resettlement assistance. The report underscores the importance of these benefits to both Ukrainians fleeing war and the continued success of sponsor-driven humanitarian parole programs. Read more