Humanitarian Parole and the “Uniting for Ukraine” Program

The application process is fully electronic for both the sponsor and the Ukrainian beneficiary (the applicant who is seeking entry). First, a U.S. sponsor (an individual or organization) must file a Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support with USCIS through the online portal. Sponsors will need to include specific information on the Ukrainian person(s) they intend to support. Once a supporter has been confirmed by USCIS, the Ukrainian applicant will receive notification from USCIS about the next steps in the process. The Ukrainian applicant will then fill out the required applications electronically in order to request authorization to travel to the United States and seek parole. The process does not require an interview with the U.S. consulate. Read more

You do not need to have relatives or acquaintances, but you must have a sponsor in the United States. Individuals or organizations who agree to sponsor an individual from Ukraine for humanitarian parole must submit evidence that they will be able to provide financial support during the individual’s stay in the U.S. A person seeking humanitarian parole may have more than one sponsor to show financial support. An organization may alternatively serve as a sponsor. Read more

No. As of April 25, 2022, Ukrainians will not be granted humanitarian parole at the U.S. border. The Department of Homeland Security has instructed that, beginning April 25, 2022, Ukrainian nationals who come to the U.S. border without a valid visa or without pre-authorization to travel to the U.S. through the “Uniting for Ukraine” program may be denied entry and referred to apply through this program. Read more

Yes. Once a U.S. sponsor initiates a petition, the Ukrainian named in the petition needs to apply for humanitarian parole through the Uniting for Ukraine program outside of the United States. Read more

No. Ukrainians who are already inside the U.S. are not eligible to be beneficiaries under the Uniting for Ukraine program. Read more

“Uniting for Ukraine” is a special program created for Ukrainians who are fleeing war to enter the United States for up to 2 years on humanitarian parole without applying for a traditional immigrant or visitor visa. Applicants must have a sponsor in the U.S. initiate the process in order to qualify. Applicants who are approved to travel to the U.S. through this program will be granted humanitarian parole. Read more

Yes, Ukrainians must apply for humanitarian parole through the Uniting for Ukraine program. To be eligible, Ukrainians must have been residing in Ukraine through February 11, 2022. Applicants under this program must be sponsored by either a person or an organization in the United States who agrees to provide financial support for the duration of their stay in the United States. Applicants must complete vaccinations and other public health requirements. Applicants must also pass biometric and biographic screening, as well as security vetting. Read more

Humanitarian parole is an entry granted to certain non-citizens due to a compelling emergency or urgent humanitarian reasons who would otherwise be ineligible for admission to the U.S. This can include groups of individuals seeking shelter or aid from disasters, oppression, emergency medical issues, or other urgent circumstances. A person can also apply for one-time entry for a specific purpose, such as obtaining medical treatment, visiting an ill family member, attending a family member’s funeral, or testifying in a U.S. court case. Asylum protection is a legal status granted to certain individuals who demonstrate they have been persecuted or fear they will be persecuted in their home country, either by the government of their home country or by some person or group that the government of their home country cannot protect them from. Read more

Humanitarian parole is an entry granted to certain non-citizens due to a compelling emergency or urgent humanitarian reasons who would otherwise be ineligible for admission to the U.S. A person can also apply for one-time entry for a specific purpose, such as obtaining medical treatment, visiting an ill family member, attending a family member’s funeral, or testifying in a U.S. court case. Humanitarian parole allows a person to temporarily live in the U.S. without fear of deportation. However, it is important to understand that humanitarian parole does not give a person an immigration status. Since humanitarian parole is not a legal status, a person who is in the U.S. on humanitarian parole will either need to reapply for another term of parole before their current term expires, select a different legal status for which to apply, or leave the U.S. Read more